Brazil waste prosecution to be heard at Old Bailey

The prosecution of four men and two companies accused of illegally exporting waste to Brazil will be heard at the Old Bailey in April 2012, after Magistrates committed the case for trial this morning (March 9).

Jonathan Coombe, 41, of Romford, Simon Edwards, 46, of Loughton in Essex, Julio Da Costa, 51, and Juliano Da Costa, 27, both of Swindon, face accusations of shipping household waste to South America in 2008 and 2009, in contravention of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Act 2007.

Companies Edwards Waste Paper Ltd and Edwards Recycling Ltd, of which Mr Edwards is a director, are included in the court case, although charges filed against Worldwide Biorecyclables Ltd, the company owned by the Da Costas, have been withdrawn by the court as the company is in liquidation.

The defendants are yet to enter pleas for any of the charges.

Trial

Magistrates at the City of London Magistrates Court committed the case for trial at the Central Criminal Court in London, with proceedings set to begin on the morning of April 12.

Prosecutors on behalf of the Environment Agency had appealed to Magistrates at a hearing in January that the trial should be heard at Crown Court due to public interest and because of the scale and complexity of the case (see letsrecycle.com story).

The trial follows a two-year investigation carried out by the Environment Agencys National Enforcement Service, codenamed Operation Mound, in partnership with Brazilian customs officials.

The case was widely covered by the national press when the alleged offences came to light, and caused some embarrassment for the UK.

The defendants have been granted unconditional bail until the start of the trial in April.