Piarco II case stalls again

There has been yet another delay in the start of evidence of the accused in the Piarco II preliminary inquiry since the prosecution, and at least one has objected to the witness statement of former United National Congress (UNC) government minister Sadiq Baksh.

Baksh, who is expected to be first in presenting his defence, filed a new witness statement on October 30 and was expected to testify at the Port of Spain Magistrates Court before Senior Magistrate Ejenny Espinet.

The prosecution’s objections were given to Baksh, and businessman Steve Ferguson said he was not ready with his objections. Baksh is expected to reply to the objections by Wednesday’s sitting.

The inquiry resumed two weeks ago after Justice Jacqueline Wilson dismissed an application by some of the defendants, who sought a stay of the magisterial proceedings while they seek to have Espinet removed from hearing the almost-completed decade-old case, on the basis of bias.

Wilson has, however, granted them leave to challenge the magistrate’s ruling that they had a case to answer. Espinet has set a timetable for the continuation of the proceedings each week as she is expected to go on pre-retirement leave and then to retire in May next year. Before the court are Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh, along with former UNC ministers Brian Kuei Tung and Sadiq Baksh, former Airports Authority chairmen Tyrone Gopee and Ameer Edoo and Galbaransingh’s former employee Amrith Maharaj. Galbaransingh and Ferguson’s companies Northern Construction Ltd and Maritime General Insurance are also parties in the inquiry.

They were implicated between 2004 and 2005 for alleged corruption and bid-rigging arising out of the Piarco Airport Development Project between 1995 and 2001.

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"Piarco II case stalls again"

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