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By Vir B. Lumicao
A Colombian man arrested in June last year along with a
Filipino seafarer who brought nearly 2 kilograms of cocaine molded like shoe
soles into Hong Kong has been sentenced to more than 24 years in jail for drug
trafficking.
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| The cocaine was shaped to look like shoe soles |
The jury acquitted another Colombian man, Jose Gonzalez
Uribe, who was arrested by customs and police officers along with Posso and
seaman Carlito B. Platon on Nathan
Road
Toh immediately sentenced Posso on Wednesday after
prosecutor Alex Ng said the defendant had three previous convictions, including
one in 2010, also for drug trafficking, for which he was sentenced to 8 years
in jail.
Posso was reportedly a torture claimant who applied for non-refoulement
(or against being sent back to his home country) after coming to Hong Kong as a visitor.
His counsel, Richard Donald, confirmed Posso’s previous
convictions said in mitigation that his client was 38 years old, married and
has three children including twin daughters.
Toh sentenced Posso to 23 years in jail for trafficking in
1.982 kg of solid cocaine with a purity of 1.333 kg. Then she added 15 more months
for what she said was Posso’s bad record and abuse of Hong
Kong ’s hospitality despite his recognizance status.
The judge said nothing on when Platon would be sentenced.
The Filipino admitted his guilt before Toh on Nov 27, a day before the start of
the trial of Posso and Uribe.
Consul Paulo Saret, head of the Consulate’s assistance to
nationals section, told The SUN he hoped the sentence on Platon would be cut
further because of his guilty plea and for cooperating with investigators.
“Hopefully, his guilty plea would lead to a further
reduction of his sentence,” Saret said.
Platon took the witness stand during the trial despite
having been approached by a man who introduced himself as a lawyer and
allegedly threatened him in order not to testify for the prosecution.
“I came to court not to get a discount, but only to clear my
conscience," Toh quoted Platon as telling Posso’s counsel Donald when the lawyer
told him during cross-examination that the Filipino was testifying to get a
discount.
Toh, summarizing the case to the jury, said the three were
arrested shortly after they left Panda Hotel in Jordan Road
Posso, accompanied by Uribe, booked a room at the hotel, and
shortly after, Platon arrived and delivered the cocaine.
The judge said customs and police officers intercepted the
three and recovered HK$105,000 that Platon had received for delivering the drug.
The money, in four stacks of $500 bank notes bundled with
rubber bands, was found in Platon’s rucksack during his arrest on Nathan Road
