Tuesday, 12 February 2008   The alleged masterminds behind the multi-million dollar guns for drugs trade between Jamaica and Haiti were offered bail when they appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court on Tuesday.

St. Elizabeth businessman Lumsden Legister otherwise called "Lazarus" and Luddy Banton were each offered $10 million bail.  

Five other men accused with the two chief suspects, Felix Dennis; Horace McKenzie; Richard Graham; Kenrick Bennett and Andrew Reid were each offered bail in the sum of $1 million.

All seven men were charged three weeks ago by members of Operation Kingfish following top level investigations into the illicit trade.

But in offering the men bail, Senior Magistrate Glen Brown imposed tough conditions on them.

Mr. Legister, a well known housing developer in St. Elizabeth and Mr. Banton were ordered to report to the Black River Police Station every day.    

The magistrate further decreed that the men cannot sell or dispose of any of their assets.  

The other accused, who are all fishermen, were told that they cannot be seen on any fishing vessel until the case is tried.

Government prosecutors reported that Jamaican authorities finally made a breakthrough in the illicit trade when the Cuban authorities intercepted a boat with Dennis, McKenzie, Braham, Reid and Bennett last year.

The men were reportedly transporting a shipment of firearms and ammunition back to Jamaica from Haiti, when they drifted into Cuban waters.

Ten illegal guns and 1,000 rounds of ammunition were seized by the Cubans after washing up on Cuban shores.

The five men were held for six months in a Cuban jail until they were handed over to the Jamaican authorities in December last year.