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Driver fined film by French

13th July 2006, Page 16
13th July 2006
Page 16
Page 16, 13th July 2006 — Driver fined film by French
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High Court refuses to pay

Following his recent release from a French prison after being cleared of drug-smuggling charges, British driver Paul Watson has another hurdle to overcome. Chris Tindall reports.

PAUL WATSON,who was cleared by a French court of knowingly smuggling 000,000 of cannabis, hut fined £2.7m for holding incorrect documentation, says he cannot and will not -pay the fine.

Watson. who languished in a French jail for 10 months without trial, says he felt so depressed at one point that he contemplated suicide.

Speaking exclusively to Commercial Motor for the first time since he received his €3.91m fine from the French High Court, he says the country's judicial system is in urgent need of reform. He also praises Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) for its ceaseless lobbying on his behalf "I will write to French Customs and tell them not to be so bloody ridiculous," saysWatson." If I could afford that. I probably would be a drug dealer! I can't, and won't, pay it. I admit the paperwork wasn't correct... but I want closure."

Watson was arrested in 2003 after Customs officers discovered a tonne of cannabis in a trailer of pottery he was carrying as a favour fora friend.

He possessed a CMR for the load, but he didn't have Community Transit Authorisation paperwork. A judge finally acquitted him of all charges but agreed with Customs to fine him the highest possible amount for paperwork irregularity. Commenting on the French legal system, Watson says: They are so slow, so old in their ways. It needs someone to go in there and modemise it. You can be held for two years without charge. How can you leave an innocent man to stew in there?"

Watson says that he wants to raise money for FTA: "They are so underfunded. I can't tell you what they meant to us.'They fought endlessly, along with [my fiancee] Sarah."

He has now left the industry and set up a chauffeur service.

• Look out for a full interview with Paul Watson in a future edition of CM. diristopher.tindall@rbi.co.uk

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Organisations: French High Court

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