Open heart surgery puts Inuvik drug trial on hold

The drug trial of an Inuvik landlord has been postponed.

In a Yellowknife courtroom on Monday, a judge granted the postponement after hearing that the accused, Talal Khatib, is recovering from open heart surgery he underwent on May 24.

Khatib was scheduled to be tried before a judge alone in N.W.T. Supreme Court in Inuvik in August.

The 67-year-old is accused of possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possessing proceeds of crime. He was charged in October of 2017, after police searched his Inuvik home. They say they found 500 grams of marijuana, 350 grams of cocaine and more than $25,000 in cash.

Prosecutor Morgan Fane agreed to the adjournment, saying Khatib provided medical records that back up the request. Fane said though it is taking longer than usual for the charges to get to trial, the delay has been caused by the defence.

Khatib initially insisted on a preliminary inquiry. He changed his mind about that two weeks before it was to begin. A year ago, his previous lawyer quit because he saidKhatib was not paying his legal fees.

According to defence lawyer Nicole Rodych, Khatib's doctor says it typically takes two months to recover from heart surgery, but it may be longer for Khatib because of his age. Rodych said there are also questions about whether current N.W.T. COVID-19 restrictions would require her or her client to quarantine for two weeks upon arriving in Inuvik for his trial.

Rodych is based in Calgary. Khatib is out on bail and living in Edmonton. He was listening to the proceedings Monday by phone.

The case is due back in court in September.