FOUR men charged with a €31m seizure of cocaine in Courtmacsherry at the beginning of July have been further remanded in custody to appear in court via video link on September 16th.
All four appeared via video link at Clonakilty District Court last Thursday.
They were previously charged with the possession of cocaine as well as the possession of cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry on July 1st.
Gardaí seized 440kg of drugs on that date.
Two of the accused were arrested in Courtmacsherry and two were arrested at Haulbowline Naval Base after they were detained at sea by the LE WB Yeats.
Solicitor Plunkett Taaffe representing Mark Doherty, who has an address at 21 Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland told Judge Brendan O’Reilly that he had been applying to Cork Prison to arrange visits to his client but no one has responded to his emails.
Judge O’Reilly stated that Mr Taaffe and his client have a legal right to these visits, while Mr Taaffe said the least the prison service can do is reply to his request.
Mr Doherty agreed to be remanded in custody to appear at Bandon District Court on September 16th.
Co-accused Levin Gulay, with an address at Schwabenstrasse 76, Neu Ulm, Germany; Christopher Hibbett of 3 Lower Park, Tresillian, Truno, England and Ben Sandford with an address at Woodgreen, Drum Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland all agreed to a further remand in custody to the same date.
Judge O’Reilly was told that a statement of means in relation to Mr Hibbett had been handed into court.
Gardaí had no objection to legal aid being granted to him on the more serious charge of the possession of cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply which the judge backdated to July 25th.
