HGP Nightly News – A video editor working for Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is back on the outside tonight after a court granted him $600,000 bail in a case involving an unmanned aerial vehicle and the residence of President Irfaan Ali.
Dwayne Ross appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court today, where he faced three charges connected to the alleged operation of a UAV.
The accusations are serious: prosecutors say Ross operated the drone at night, flew it over President Ali’s residence without written permission and operated the aircraft without first obtaining a permit.
Ross, who is contractually employed by Mohamed, was arrested Thursday evening after police intercepted a vehicle in which both men were travelling.
And even the circumstances surrounding that stop are already being disputed.
According to the defence, the vehicle was intercepted outside the Leonora Masjid. The prosecution gave the court a different account, saying the stop occurred at Windsor Forest.
The prosecution is also alleging that Ross was seen with the remote control being used to operate the UAV.
That claim will now form part of a case that has already attracted attention because of the alleged flight over the President’s residence.
Represented by Attorney-at-Law Eusi Anderson, Ross was granted bail with conditions attached. He must hand over his passport and report to the police on the first Friday of every month at 8:00 AM.
For now, the allegations remain just that, allegations. No finding of guilt has been made against Ross.
The next stages of the case will have to establish what happened on the night in question, where the drone was being operated, and whether the prosecution can prove that Ross committed the offences with which he has been charged.
