The airline officials involved in the Air Cocaine affair were released on Thursday, October 21, pending the examination of their appeal by the Court of Cassation.
Pierre-Marc Dreyfus, 56, and Fabrice Alcaud, 48, were declared on July 8 guilty of "
importing drugs in an organized gang
" and sentenced to six years in prison.
A customs fine of two million euros had also been imposed by the Assize Court of Appeal of Bouches-du-Rhône which had thus confirmed the conviction handed down at first instance.
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During this second appeal trial, the two pilots of the Falcon on board which had been embarked 26 suitcases containing 700 kilos of cocaine in March 2013 at the Dominican airport of Punta Cana had, them, been acquitted.
In April 2019, during the first trial, they were sentenced to six years in prison.
At the head of SNTHS, a private aviation company from Lyon, Pierre-Marc Dreyfus and Fabrice Alcaud have always denied having been aware of the transport of cocaine from the Caribbean and Latin America on board their aircraft leased by intermediaries in link with traffickers.
Under judicial supervision
Counting on the cassation of the appeal verdict, Pierre-Marc Dreyfus said Wednesday before the investigating chamber of the Aix-en-Provence court of appeal, wishing for a third trial in order to assert his innocence.
The two defendants had already been released after their first conviction.
To read also "Air Cocaine": a well orchestrated escape
This decision "
respects the presumption of innocence, one of the pillars of our rule of law,
" said Fabrice Alcaud's lawyer, Me Céline Astolfe. “
The trust that had been placed in him was well placed since he appeared at his appeal trial. We ask you to continue to place your trust in him,
”for their part pleaded Me Pierre Ceccaldi and Jean-Félix Luciani, defenders of Pierre-Marc Dreyfus. Referring to "
a particular procedural framework
" after two convictions, Advocate General Yvon Calvet did not rule out the release of the two defendants asking the Court of Appeal to "
take all measures to ensure their representation in justice
".
The two men were placed under judicial supervision with a ban on leaving the country and a regular check-in obligation.
Pierre-Marc Dreyfus works in the family stud farm near Aix-en-Provence.
Fabrice Alcaud benefits from a contract in a luxury concierge service and retains his authorization to train customs officers in aviation English.
The two men have so far served fifteen months in detention.
No date has been set for the examination of their appeal before the Court of Cassation.