The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday withdrew an application for the forfeiture of $9 million that had been seized from convicted drug trafficker Barry Dataram and his brother Troy Dataram.
The move came almost a month after the DPP signaled that it would appeal a decision by the High Court ordering that the money be returned.
The DPP’s representative, Dionne McCammon, informed Magistrate Judy Latchman of the decision yesterday.
McCammon told the court that the DPP has not filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision but noted that the Attorney General’s Chambers would be filing an appeal.
The $9 million in question was seized by Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) agents during a search conducted on the home of Troy Dataram on February 18, 2016. On November 16, 2016, the DPP made an application to Magistrate Latchman for the forfeiture of the money.
For months, the Datarams’ attorney, Glenn Hanoman, had argued that the Magistrate’s Court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter, which he said should be before the High Court.
