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After a year in France Watson still has to wait
Page 18
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PAUL WATSON (pictured), the British haulier bailed in France for allegedly smuggling f_500,000 of cannabis, will have to remain in France "indefinitely" until the authorities decide whether to charge him.
Watson was released on conditional bail last June after nine months in jail awaiting trial. He is lodging with a British couple —Andrew and Jayne Knight — in the Pas de Calais region, where he will have to stay until the French courts decide whether to pursue his case.
His partner Sarah Wilson says it could be months before they make a decision: "Because Paul has now been released on bail the courts have no legal requirement to review his case every three months, like they would do if he was still in prison. We are hoping that the Home Office will push his case and that he will be extradited to the UK so that he can start to rebuild his life.
"Paul is extremely frustrated that after a year the French authorities still haven't made a decision when there is no new evidence against him."
It is a year next Saturday (25 September) since Watson was stopped on the Al in Lille by French Customs who discovered a tonne of cannabis in his load of pottery (CM 4 December 2003).