Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info. Four men have pleaded guilty before the Special Criminal Court to having 2.
The four were due to go on trial having earlier this week failed in a bid to have the charges against them dismissed. The four men - Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, aged 32 and Vitaliy Vlasoi, aged 32; Iranian Soheil Jelveh, aged 51 and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, aged 49 - appeared before the three-judge court this morning, where they were each arraigned on one of three charges against them. The 2. The ship was boarded in a dramatic operation by the Army Rangers, a specialist wing of the Irish Defence Forces, in September The men had applied to the non-jury Special Criminal Court on January 13 to have the charges against them dismissed.
Ms Justice Melanie Greally, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone, remanded the four defendants in custody until February 24, when their cases are listed for mention with a view to fixing a sentence date for next term. Two other defendants Iranian Saeid Hassani, aged 39 and Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31 will stand trial on Monday before the Special Criminal Court arising from the seizure of the cocaine. Defence counsel for the other two men - Mr Hassani and Mr Estoesta - said their trials were proceeding.
The two men were remanded in custody until then. A seventh man, Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa 62 , with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk was previously arraigned on one of the two charges against him. Lapa was also facing a charge that between July 15 and September 23 , both dates inclusive, within the State, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, that he participated in, or contributed to, activity intending to, or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that criminal organisation or any of its members.
Lapa was the only one of the accused men who did not make an application under the Criminal Procedure Act to have his case dismissed. UK national Jamie Harbron has also pleaded guilty to an offence arising from the seizure. He will appear before the court later this year for a sentencing hearing. Harbron 31 of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK pleaded guilty that on a date between September 21 and September 25, , both dates inclusive, he attempted to have cocaine in his possession for the purpose of sale or supply, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
