Drug accused Ho remanded

Drug accused Justin Ho has been denied bail and will await his next court hearing at the Natabua Correctional Facility remand centre.

The accused appeared before Magistrate Mareta Tikoisuva at the Nadi Magistrate Court yesterday.

He was charged with one count of breaching bail conditions.

The court heard that on Monday, May 26, Ho had breached the bail condition imposed by the High Court in Lautoka on December 3, last year.

He failed to remain in the vicinity of the Lautoka area as per bail conditions.

In 2023, Ho, with 12 others, were charged in relation to a raid in Nadi which netted 4.15 tonnes methamphetamine worth $2billion.

On Tuesday, the accused appeared at the High Court in Lautoka, and his bail application was revoked.

Yesterday, he was represented by Shivneel Chandra from Iqbal Khan and Associates law firm, while Zenith Zunaid appeared for the State prosecution.

Mr Chandra told the court that his client was taken by police officers to be interviewed and spent a night at the station.

"Mr Ho, in his statement in the caution interview, stated that he was taken by a few men whom he believes were police officers. They had asked him to pack his belongings in a bag and that he had to stay overnight after his interview had been conducted.

"They drove him from Lautoka to Port Denarau. Mr Ho thought that they would take him to Namaka Police Station."

The defence lawyer said the men told Ho that they would direct him to the border post in Port Denarau.

"When they reached there, they loaded him into a yacht. There were two white men who he believes were German."

Mr Chandra told the court that his client was questioned on the yacht about naming certain people during a caution interview in the High Court.

"They questioned him on the names of the witnesses he had named in the high court, where he had named certain people in the caution interview for the 4.3 tonne matter," he said.

Mr Zunaid, strongly rejected bail and refuted claims by the accused's lawyer.

"Police have received information that Mr Ho was escaping a jurisdiction on a yacht heading to New Zealand," he said.

"Police officers, who conducted the arrest stated that Mr Ho, had locked himself inside the yacht. He was arrested and taken into custody."

"We strongly objected to bail. The allegation before this court is quite serious: The breach of bail conditions. This is a serious case and of public interest."

The defence lawyer said arresting officers never recorded any surveillance witness statements of people present on the yacht.

Magistrate Tikoisuva cancelled bail for Ho. The accused will file fresh bail application on June 26, which is the next mention date.

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