 | |
|
By Vir B. Lumicao
A Filipino seafarer who admitted sneaking two kilos of
cocaine molded like shoe soles into Hong Kong has been sentenced to 9 years and
two months for drug trafficking.
Carlito B. Platon, 49, got a 60% discount in his
sentence for pleading guilty to the offence and testifying against his
Colombian co-accused during a 10-day trial at the Court of First Instance.
Judge Ester Toh imposed the sentence on Dec. 20 after Platon’s
lawyer, Maurice Peter Tracy, said the sailor had been put under significant
pressure not to plead guilty by his Colombian co-accused, Cristhian Enrique
Posso.
The pressure increased when a solicitor allegedly visited
Platon in jail and tried to dissuade him from testifying for his own and his
family’s safety.
Judge Toh said police are now investigating the lawyer for
the threat and that Platon may be asked to testify again when the case goes to
court.
Despite the threat, Platon gave evidence that, Judge Toh
said, helped the jury pinpoint and convict Posso as the lead player in the
trafficking of 1.982 kilograms of cocaine valued at $1.762 million.
Toh said she found Platon a reliable and credible witness
who was driven to commit the crime due to the medical needs of his wife and
mother. The judge said he was not a professional criminal or a professional
drug trafficker.
Posso, 38, was convicted of drug trafficking on Dec 12 and was sentenced on the same day by Toh to 24 years and three months.
Posso, 38, was convicted of drug trafficking on Dec 12 and was sentenced on the same day by Toh to 24 years and three months.
His co-defendant, Jose Gonzalez Uribe, who claimed he was
just asked by his friend Posso to accompany him on a shopping trip to Jordan
Road on June 2 last year, was acquitted.
Customs and police officers arrested Posso, Uribe and Platon while they were on board a taxi in Yaumatei which they had taken after meeting up at the Panda Hotel in Jordan.
Posso, accompanied by Uribe, had booked a room at the hotel, where Platon was to have delivered the cocaine.
Unknown to the three, Customs and police undercover men had already put Platon under surveillance after Hong Kong was alerted on May 31 by aUS
The courier was identified as Platon, who was due to arrive on a Maersk ship.
Customs and police officers arrested Posso, Uribe and Platon while they were on board a taxi in Yaumatei which they had taken after meeting up at the Panda Hotel in Jordan.
Posso, accompanied by Uribe, had booked a room at the hotel, where Platon was to have delivered the cocaine.
Unknown to the three, Customs and police undercover men had already put Platon under surveillance after Hong Kong was alerted on May 31 by a
The courier was identified as Platon, who was due to arrive on a Maersk ship.
When the ship arrived at Kwai Chung port, a Customs and
police team boarded the ship and searched Platon’s cabin but found no drug and
they left.
Platon, in his evidence, said he left the ship and was met
by a Chinese man wearing a helmet and goggles who gave him a black plastic bag
and a SIM card and told him to call Posso at Panda Hotel in Jordan
He was instructed to go to Panda and meet up with Posso
where he would deliver the drug and be paid in US dollars. Instead, he was
given $105,000 in Hong Kong bills.
When arrested, Platon’s rucksack yielded the payoff money,
which was in four stacks of $500 bank notes tied up with rubber bands. He gave
up meekly after a brief chase.
Posso threw the bag containing the drug on the ground and
struggled when officers caught up with him. Uribe tried to run away but was met
by other officers.
Platon said he met the source of the drug during a ship call
in Colombia
He denied agreeing to testify because he wanted to get a discount in his sentence, and said he only wanted to “clear my conscience.”
He denied agreeing to testify because he wanted to get a discount in his sentence, and said he only wanted to “clear my conscience.”
