After a week of trial, the criminal chamber of the Fort-de-France court delivered its verdict. Among the convictions: Claude Domput, Serge Nugent and Steeve Cicéron, who appeared under judicial supervision, returned to prison. Alex Ho and David Sana return to custody. Mengbo Zhou, absent from the trial, will be the subject of an arrest warrant, convicted for the money laundering aspect.
Published on October 25, 2024 at 6:58 p.m.
On October 1, 2020, 594 kilos of cocaine were seized from a car near the port of Dégrad-des-Cannes. Four years after this discovery, the trial of 13 people involved was held this week at the Fort-de-France criminal court. Two aspects were examined: the first concerned cocaine trafficking, the second money laundering. The verdict fell this Friday in the middle of the afternoon.
- Convictions handed down for drug trafficking.
Alex Hoorganizer of the network between Suriname and Guyana, receives seven years of imprisonment with continued detention as well as a fine of 150,000 euros.
Steve Cicero known as “Pirate”coordinator of the Guyanese branch of the network and author of the first shipment of around 250 kilos of cocaine in July 2020, receives 3 years of imprisonment with a committal warrant: he returns to prison.
Claude Domput, who appeared under judicial supervision, was sentenced for his role as logistician during the delivery of the drugs to the port. He was sentenced to seven years in prison with a warrant of committal and a fine of 100,000 euros.
Serge Nugentwho also appeared under judicial supervision, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment with a committal warrant and a fine of 30,000 euros for his role as intermediary and supervisor. This is a heavier sentence than that requested by the prosecution during its requisitions.
The two drivers, Watson Little Brother et Lukel Thervilus are sentenced to three years' imprisonment but benefit from a reduced sentence, having already served part of their sentence during their pre-trial detention. Each is also ordered to pay a fine of 15,000 euros.
David Sana is sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with continued detention for storing the goods in Guyana. He will have to pay a fine of 100,000 euros.
If justice has not convicted Leeroy Philippines for drug trafficking, she condemns him for his participation. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for criminal conspiracy. He is not going to prison, having already served his sentence during his pre-trial detention.
Grégory Pierre-Louisaccused of being David Sana's associate, is sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 euros. Having already served part of his sentence in detention, he will benefit from an adjustment.
Not involved in the trafficking of the 594 kilos seized in Degrad-des-Cannes, Bastien Kereneur is sentenced to two years' suspended imprisonment for “preparatory act of carrying out drug trafficking”. He provided Alex Ho, the traffic organizer, with photos and videos of the cargo area of Félix Eboué airport and organized a nighttime visit to the premises of the cargo company of which he was the director.
- On the money laundering aspect
Philip Litrader of an 8 to eight in Matoury, is the only one of the defendants to have been acquitted. The sum of 151,000 euros was searched at his home. It will be returned to him.
Huang Zhongchenga trader from Cayenne, is sentenced to eight months' suspended imprisonment. He appeared under judicial supervision. He is found guilty of having paid several thousand euros to one of the members of the network. He will have to pay a fine of 5,000 euros.
Absent from the trial, Mengbo Zhou will be the subject of an arrest warrant. While the public prosecutor had requested one year against him, the trader, absent at the trial, received four years of imprisonment. Justice accuses him of having given the sum of 450,000 euros to one of the members of the network.
