The brother-in-law of former First Minister Humza Yousaf is to stand trial after he was charged with extortion and class A drug offences following the death of a man in Dundee.
Ramsay El-Nakla, 37, pleaded not guilty via his legal team to the allegations during a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday.
Co-accused Stephen Stewart, 51, Jennifer Souter, 39, and Victoria McGowan, 42, also face charges on the same indictment including the culpable homicide of 36 year-old Ryan Munro.
El-Nakia is not accused of being involved in the alleged killing.
It is instead claimed El-Nakla along with the other three “with the intention of menacing” Mr Munro did put him in a state of alarm that he would be harmed at a flat in Morgan Street, Dundee on January 9 and 10 last year.
Allegations
Prosecutors state they did “intimidate” the man and did “extort a sum of money from him by threats”.
El-Nakla alone is separately accused of being concerned in the supply of cocaine in Dundee.
Along with Stewart and McGowan, he faces a similar charge in relation to heroin.
Stewart, Souter and McGowan meantime are alleged to have killed Mr Munro at the flat in Morgan Street on January 10.
It is claimed the man was intimidated and threatened, put in “extreme” fear and alarm causing him to escape via a window at the property.
This is said to have seen him fall from a height and hit the ground.
Prosecutors state Mr Munro was so severely hurt that he died there.
Stewart, Souter and McGowan are also accused of a separate charge of abducting Mr Munro over the two days.
McGowan faces further drug accusations.
‘Incrimination’ defence
Lawyers for Stewart, Souter and McGowan also pleaded not guilty on their behalf.
Stewart and Souter have each lodged a special defence of incrimination.
None of the four accused appeared in court today/yesterday.
Advocate depute Alex Prentice KC is leading the prosecution in the case.
The court heard discussions are ongoing as to how the important evidence of a teenager will be taken.
A trial was set and is schedule to begin in December 2025. It could last around 10 days.
Lord Scott said: “The High Court in Dundee cannot accommodate the trial due to the number of accused people which is why it’s fixed for Edinburgh even though Dundee would have been preferable.”
A judge will be allocated for the trial at a later date.
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