Two facing drug charges plead not guilty

By Lethbridge Herald on July 21, 2023.

Delon Shurtz
LETHBRIDGE HERALD

Two B.C. men facing drug-related charges, including trying to smuggle drugs over the Canada-U.S. border, have pleaded not guilty and elected to be tried by a judge in the Alberta Court of Justice.

B.C lawyer Pir Indar Singh Sahota made the election Thursday in Lethbridge court of justice on behalf of his clients Sukhdeep Singh Sandhu and Harmanpreet Singh Sidhu, who are charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act with importing narcotics and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. They are also charged with smuggling under the Customs Act.

The charges were laid after two men in a commercial vehicle tried to bring 245 kilograms of methamphetamine into Alberta on April 17.

The accused, who were released from custody April 20 on $1,000 bail and several conditions, reside in Surrey B.C. and were not required to attend court. Their lawyer, who also lives in Surrey, attended court by video link.

Sahota was also in court last week where he petitioned the judge for the return of his clients’ cellphones which were seized by police and contain evidence critical to their defence.

Rosie Murphy, acting as agent for the Crown prosecutor in the case, said, however, the phones might never be returned.

“They’re in the possession of the police, and they’re currently being processed, so there’s no timeline at this point as to when, and even if, the phones would be returned,” Murphy said on July 13. “They could be subject to forfeiture depending on what’s found on them.”

Sahota told the judge he needs “evidence” contained on the phones, as well as on a GPS system, before he can take a step, and he’s been waiting for the information since last month when he first made the request. Sahota said he had spoken with the Crown and was told the information on the devices has been downloaded, and the Crown no longer needs them.

“We don’t have any defence except those three items,” he said. “In view of the Crown’s submission, probably we will have to make an application to the court for return of those items so that we can download the evidence from them.”

The case is next set to be heard on Aug. 17. In the meantime a pre-trial conference will be arranged to discuss issues, determine how much time will be needed for a trial, and schedule trial dates.

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