Son of Scottish aristocrat accused of trafficking 100kg of cocaine into Kenya

The son of a Scottish aristocrat has appeared in court accused of smuggling almost 100kg of cocaine into Kenya through the country's main seaport.

Jack Marrian, the son of Lady Campbell of Cawdor, denied the charge at a court in Nairobi on Thursday (4 August).

He appeared alongside a Kenyan national, Roy Francis Mwanthi, who also denied the charge. It is not know what happened to a third suspect, also Kenyan.

The drugs were discovered by Kenyan police and US Drug Enforcement Agency officials on Friday in containers from Brazil destined for Uganda, according to Associated Press.

Marrian, 30, had posted a one-word message of "Released" on his Facebook page on Monday, with friends responding with relief. But after subsequently being re-arrested and charged he is now behind bars in a Kenyan jail.

A hearing for bail, already opposed by the prosecution who said he was a flight risk, is due on Monday. The maximum penalty for drug trafficking in Kenya is life in prison.

Marrian's father, David, who is an artist has held exhibitions in Kenya. He declined to comment when approached by IBTimes UK, but confirmed his son had been arrested.

Jack Marrian's mother is Emma Clare Campbell of Cawdor, who comes from a well-known line of Scottish nobility. His grandfather was the late Lord Hugh John Vaughan Campbell, the sixth Earl Cawdor, also an artist.

Marrian, who grew up in Kenya before studying economics at the University of Bristol, has been working for commodities company ED&F Man as head of its south east Africa sugar trading division for the past two years, according to his LinkedIn page.

A spokesman for ED&F told IBTimes UK Marrian was also managing director of Mshale Commodities, which is based in Uganda.

A spokesman for the company said: "Mshale is aware of speculation regarding an allegedly compromised shipment consigned to Mshale Commodities. We can confirm that Mshale's managing director, Jack Marrian, is assisting the Kenyan authorities to provide them with whatever information they require. Mshale operates stringent procedures to protect the integrity of its supply chain. Until these investigations are concluded, we are unable to comment further."