Alleged associate of the Hells Angels who was acquitted of drug trafficking has had his acquittal overturned

 Alleged associate of the Hells Angels who was acquitted of drug trafficking has had his acquittal overturned and a new trial ordered.

Reasons for the decision released by the B.C. Court of Appeal on Friday concerning Nima Ghavami were not immediately available.

Ghavami, wearing a suit and tie, was in court for the brief announcement. Outside court he had no comment.

In July 2005, Ghavami was one of more than a dozen men charged during the RCMP's Project E-Pandora crackdown on the East End chapter of the notorious motorcycle club.

The case was split into multiple indictments and Ghavami's case, in which he was charged with trafficking in methamphetamines, was adjourned a number of times.

In December 2008, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask ruled that Ghavami's rights had been violated due to an unreasonable delay, with the judge blaming prosecutors for much of the 44-month delay.

Prosecutors appealed the ruling and in January argued before the B.C. Court of Appeal that Leask had made a number of errors.