Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

St Ann businessman Norris 'Deedo' Nembhard and four other Jamaican men were flown out of the island yesterday to the United States where they will be tried for conspiracy to export cocaine.

The men lost their legal battle against their extradition orders in the Court of Appeal last week Friday. The offences are alleged to have taken place from 1998 to 2004.

Prison officials confirmed yesterday that Nembhard, 52, police corporal Herbert Henry, Robroy Williams, also called 'Spy', Glenford Williams and Vivian Dalley were taken from the Horizon Remand Centre to the airport.

Privy Council

Documents were filed in the Court of Appeal Registry on Thursday seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to go to the United Kingdom Privy Council on a constitutional issue. The hearing has been set for July 21.

After the men's appeal were thrown out, Norma Linton, QC told the court then that the men were going to pursue their constitutional rights in the matter. It was also reported that a letter was sent to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Senator Dorothy Light-bourne, QC, informing her of the men's intention.

Constitutional rights

Dalley's lawyer Patrick Atkinson told The Gleaner on Thursday that Dalley was not taking his case any further. K.D. Knight, QC said Robroy and Glenford Williams were pursuing their constitutional rights.

The men had been in custody since 2004 when Senior Resident Magistrate Martin Gayle made the extradition orders.

The men were arrested as part of a major international crackdown in drug trafficking among the Jamaican, United States, British and Colombian governments.

They filed several grounds of appeal challenging their extradition orders, but the Court of Appeal dismissed them. Nembhard has been designated a drug kingpin by President George W. Bush.