(Trinidad Guardian) The four men charged with conspiracy to blow up fuel lines, buildings and planes at John F Kennedy International Airport last year, will go on trial in 2009.
According to one of the defence attorneys, Kafahni Nkrumah, a lot still had to be achieved before the judge can start the case.
Nkrumah, who represents former Guyanese parliamentarian Abdul Kadir, told the Guardian that the prosecution had not made full disclosure in the case.
He agreed with the judge, Dora Irizarry that the case was very unusual.
Background checks on the defence lawyers must to be conducted, Nkrumah added.
This, he said, can take up to three months before the case can move forward.
Officials of the US Attorney’s Office said the events of September 11, 2001, have changed everything in the US, especially high profile trials.
A spokesman for the department said, “This trial had its origin on the basis of a terror plot to cause widespread destruction in the US. Like other terror trials, a lot of things must be done.”
The spokesman said everybody involved in the trial must be properly checked.
“It is not only the defence lawyers. You heard what the judge said, that her law clerks have to go through the same security checks.
“Everybody must be cleared and the agency involved must be satisfied that everything was in order before the trial gets going.”
Nkrumah and two other defence lawyers, Andrew Carter (for Russell de Freitas) and Michael Hueston (for Kareem Ibrahim), have already agreed for the background checks to be made.
But the other defence attorney, Daniel Nobel, who represents Abdel Nur, had some reservations when he appeared in the Brooklyn Federal Court last Thursday.
Nobel told the judge he was against a blanket security check being done on him. He felt that the security checks should be specific, but not widespread where all his personal business would be out in the open.
Because of the security checks to be conducted, Nkrumah feels that this could go into November.
He said the prosecution had not disclosed everything to the defence, but described the process as ongoing. He also revealed that the defence attorneys would want to visit Guyana and Trinidad, where some of the crimes were alleged to have occurred.
“That would take us into your Carnival,” Nkrumah joked.
He said he had never been to Trinidad or Guyana, but was looking forward to visit both Caribbean countries to get a better feel of the situation.
“Because all these things still have to be done, I can safely say this trial would not start before March, 2009,” Nkrumah added.
Added to this, Trinidadian Ibrahim has to be declared mentally fit to stand trial before the actual trial begins.
His attorney, Michael Hueston, informed the court that evaluators from both the prosecution and defence will examine Ibrahim to determine if he is fit enough to stand trial.
Another status hearing is fixed for September 19.