Trial begins for man accused of soliciting for drug-smuggling
A man has gone on trial accused of soliciting two undercover gardaí to travel to Brazil to collect cocaine and bring it back into Ireland.
Sunny Idah (aged 36) with an address at Gerard House, Brown Street, London has pleaded not guilty to two charges of soliciting another person to unlawfully import cocaine on dates between September 14 and 19, 2010.
On the first day of the trial Mr Colm O'Briain BL, prosecuting, said the jury would hear evidence that two undercover gardai travelled to Dublin Airport under someone else’s identities on September 14, 2010.
He said that after making telephone contact with a man, who the prosecution say was the accused, the gardaí then travelled to the Airport Regency Hotel.
It is alleged that over the following days Mr Idah arranged for the undercover officers to travel to Rio de Janeiro for the purpose of taking possession of drugs and importing them back to Ireland.
Mr O'Briain said that Mr Idah gave the undercover officers money to pay for hotel accommodation and on September 19 he provided them with airline tickets to fly to Rio de Janeiro via Paris where they were to meet associates of the accused man.
The trial, set to last two to three weeks, will hear legal argument until next Wednesday morning.
It will then begin hearing evidence before Judge Desmond Hogan and a jury of eight men and four women.
