Gardaí are still working on their file for the Director of Public Prosecutions in the cases of seven men charged with conspiring to import drugs off the Kerry coast.
The seven men appeared in Tralee District Court again this week, where Judge David Waters told them it would be premature of him to strike out their case because of delay.
They were arrested at piers in Kerry and Clare in January, and all seven have been on remand in custody since their arrests.
Three of the men are Filipino nationals, and for the third time in six weeks, a court-ordered Filipino translator was not available.
29-year-old Feljon Lao is charged with conspiring with one or more persons unknown to import drugs of a value greater than €13,000, while 36-year-old Hanz Pangahin and 43-year-old Christopher Ampo, are charged with conspiring with each other, with Mr Lao, and one other unnamed person.
Judge Waters told Mr Ampo that the court doesn’t have a Filipino interpreter present, as they cancelled last minute.
This is the third time that a court-ordered Filipino interpreter has either cancelled or not shown up for these three defendants.
Judge Waters said he would remand Mr Ampo in custody for one week and order a translator be present then to deal with the case.
His solicitor Pádraig O’Connell said this is an extraordinary turn of events.
Judge Waters gave the same update to Mr Lao and Mr Pangahin.
The four other accused also face charges of conspiring to import drugs.
They are 31-year-old Ryan Watson of Moodiesburn, Glasgow, 40-year-old Gary Monks of Amulree Place, Glasgow, 30-year-old Conor Costello of Madam’s Bank Road, Derry, and 45-year-old Miljan Koprivica of Bollin Drive, Manchester.
Judge Waters told these men that due to the lack of the translator, he was remanding them in custody to next Wednesday.
Representing three of them, solicitor Brendan Ahern asked that the case be marked peremptory, and representing the other, solicitor Pat Mann ask that the case be struck out; both solicitors cited the delay in the book of evidence and the fact their clients had been in custody for nine weeks.
If the case was marked peremptory, it would mean that either the state produce the book of evidence on the next date, or the matters would be struck out.
Sergeant Chris Manton told the court the garda file is not yet with the DPP, but there are multiple avenues to the investigation including electronic devices which must be analysed.
Judge Waters said due to the seriousness of the charges, the complexities of the case, and the fact there are so many co-accused, it would be premature to strike out the cases or mark them peremptory on this occasion.
