The government was successful in defeating efforts by convicted drug trafficker Norris ‘Deedo’ Nembhard to set aside a default judgement to seize his assets.

The judgment was entered in August 2016.

The default judgment arose from a civil recovery claim brought by the Asset Recovery Agency in 2011, in which it sought the recovery of several properties and motor vehicles, which were alleged to have been purchased from Nembhard’s drug trafficking.

Nembhard was arrested in 2004, and extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than one thousand kilograms of marijuana, knowing and intending it to be unlawfully imported into the united states.

Nembhard subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2009 to one hundred and fifty-six months imprisonment.

After five years, Nembhard failed to file a defence to the claim and a default judgment was entered against him, by the Supreme Court.

An application was then filed by Nembhard to set aside the default judgment that had been entered. This application was heard by the Supreme Court today.

In refusing the application, the court noted that the five year delay was exceptional and that Nembhard had provided no evidence to account for this delay.

The court further found that Nembhard did not show that he had a real prospect of successfully defending the claim.

The effect of this decision is that the default judgment that was entered in favour of the agency stands. The judgment vests 5 of Nembhards’s real properties located in St. Ann to the crown – with the proceeds of same to be paid to the agency – and vests 11 of Nemhard’s motor vehicles – which include a Mercedes Benz and several motor trucks/tractors – in the agency.