Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

A 2010 drug-smuggling case involving a police officer and an airport employee has been set for final mention in January 2013, after being stalled on Wednesday in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court.

Vincent Saddler, a former police sergeant , is charged with conspiracy to export ganja; while Donovan Clarke, a former employee of the Sangster International Airport, is charged with possession and dealing in cocaine and conspiracy to export ganja.

It is alleged that on December 1, 2010, Saddler and Clarke were arrested during an operation by investigators from the Anti-Corruption Branch in relation to alleged narcotics trafficking between the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada. Nine alleged co-conspirators were also arrested in Canada during the same operation.

incomplete file

When the case was mentioned on Wednesday, the court was told that the file is still incomplete as several documents from the Canadian authorities have not been submitted.

Attorney-at-law Dionne Maylor-Reid, who is representing Clarke, complained about the length of time being taken for the file to be completed.

"The file is still incomplete and nothing further has happened," said Maylor-Reid. "Meanwhile, these men's lives have stopped and nothing is happening ... the things (statements) that are expected from Canada are still not here."

"There has to be an explanation on whether or not they are coming," replied Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small. "If I cannot be told the state of the file, I see no reason why the court should still prosecute this matter before me."

"Is there going to be some end to this nightmare?" Maylor-Reid asked the court. "This matter is clogging up the list."

RM Wong-Small subsequently set a final mention date in the matter for January 30, 2013, at which time the file is expected to be completed.