Frenchman in ‘air cocaine’ case denied bail

Santo Domingo.- French aviation security expert ChristopheNaudin will remain behind bars to await trial on charges he masterminded theescape of two French pilots convicted ofdrug trafficking in the ‘air cocaine’ case, a court ruled Thursday.

National District Appealte Court judge Rigoberto Sena ruledto extend a lower court order of three months of pretrial detention against Naudin,53, has been detained since 10 March, when he was brought in extradition fromEgypt, where he was arrested in February by Interpol agents in Cairo.

Naudin’s attorney Miguel Valerio motioned for theprosecution to immediately file the charges and evidence, and insisted that hisclient’s detention and extradition were irregular.

After the defendant’s arrest in February, the Dominicangovernment had requested is extradition in early March.