This archive report was first published on 8 December 2019.
Kenyan drug trafficker Ibrahim Akasha, 30, is facing a delayed sentencing in a federal court in New York. Initially scheduled for December 6th, the sentencing has been pushed to January 10th, 2020.
According to Ibrahim's attorney, Dawn Cardi, the delay is due to the defendant's 'unanswered questions' about his status. In a note to presiding Judge Victor Marrero, Ibrahim expressed his confusion and loss, stating that he had not received clarification from his attorney and was unsure of his legal situation.
On November 8th, Ibrahim last appeared in court, but he claimed to have had no substantive discussion with his attorney since then. He wrote to Judge Marrero, 'I never had time to share with my concerns with her and ask questions I've wanted to ask. To be honest with you, your honor, I don't have the slightest idea or clue of what's going on and I'm confused, I’m lost.'
Judge Marrero deemed Ibrahim's note sufficient reason to postpone the sentencing. However, Ibrahim's attorney, Ms. Cardi, believes that the concerns have been allayed, and the sentencing will proceed as scheduled on January 10th, 'unless something else arises.'
Ibrahim pleaded guilty to several counts of drug trafficking and bribery in November last year, alongside his older brother Baktash Akasha, who received a 25-year prison sentence in August this year.
