Businessman’s drug trial stalls
ST JAMES, Jamaica — The trial of Rohan Cummings, a businessman who was arrested and charged in March last year after reportedly being held with US$850,000 ($130 million) worth of cocaine inside a bus he was driving, has been postponed. The 56-year-old appeared in the St James Parish Court on Friday.
Cummings, of Berkshire in Westmoreland and Cambridge in St James addresses, had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges of possession of, dealing in, trafficking, and conspiracy to traffic 17 kilogrammes of cocaine.
During Friday’s sitting, the clerk informed the court that she was unable to embark on a trial because she was unable to make disclosure of some materials that the prosecution has received. She also stated that she was handling the matter for the first time and would need guidance on how to proceed.
The matter was subsequently adjourned until April 5 when the trial is expected to begin.
The allegations are that at 2:45 pm on March 7, Cummings was driving a Toyota Hiace bus on the Long Hill main road in St James when he was stopped by a police team. The bus was searched and cocaine found in the left-hand and right-hand panels of the vehicle.
When he was questioned about his knowledge of the items, Cummings reportedly said, “Mi never know boss, a di first mi a see dem.”
He was asked if he had put them in the panel, and he said, “No”.
Cummings also told the cops that the bus belonged to a friend who owned a hardware store.
He was taken into custody and interviewed, following which he was later arrested and charged with breaching the Dangerous Drugs Act.