AN Abaco man who allegedly owned a boat used in a human-smuggling operation that ended up with 11 of its 28 passengers dead was brought to court yesterday.
However, 43-year-old Alphonso "Carpo" Edner of Sands Bank, Treasure Cay was not arraigned to an interpreter being unavailable for the late afternoon session in the magistrates' court.
Yesterday his attorney, Bandele Lafluer, told magistrate Jeanine Weech-Gomez that his client's English, having spoken with him prior to court, was not good and may need assistance.
The magistrate agreed with the request and stood the matter down to 2.30pm.
However, when the time came for the arraignment to take place, the police prosecutor told the court that an interpreter was found but minutes before the start of the court's afternoon session, said they had encountered transport problems.
Magistrate Weech-Gomez stood the matter down to this morning when an interpreter is expected to be available.
Edner faces 11 counts of abetment to manslaughter. It is claimed he abetted in the deaths of 11 Haitians between June 10 and 11.
The victims were passengers on a sloop vessel believed to be heading to the USA from Treasure Cay, Abaco.
The boat capsized and the 11 victims, five of them children, drowned.
The arraignment will take place at 10am in court one of the magistrates' court.
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