Judge puts Pan Trinbago’s ‘caretaker committee’ on pause

JUSTICE Ronnie Boodoosingh has granted an injunction to PanTrinbago’s embattled central executive, restraining its outgoing president Keith Diaz or the purported caretaker committee from exercising any of their functions.

The judge gave his ruling yesterday at the Hall of Justice.

In granting the injunction, Boodoosingh said there would be no substantial prejudice to outgoing president Keith Diaz and the status quo would result in him remaining a member of the executive and the interim committee members would return to their non-executive status.

Members of the central executive, who were purportedly ousted at a March 27 meeting, took the matter to court challenging Diaz’s decision to convene the meeting at which an interim committee was set-up to run the organisation until elections are held.

Diaz resigned his position at the March meeting.

They also claim a petition calling for an extraordinary meeting on April 17, and which resolved to establish the interim executive did not meet the constitutionally required quorum of 60 per cent of the membership.

At this meeting, secretary Richard Forteau and the others were voted out of office and a caretaker committee – comprising of a chairman, the former president and treasurer and three other people– was appointed.

Forteau and the others say the resolutions and decisions taken at the April 17 meeting are illegal and of no effect.

In his 14-page decision, Boodoosingh said the March meeting was not recognised under the pan body’s constitution.

Forteau and the others were represented by attorneys Farid Scoon and Saeed Trotter.

Bringing the action against Diaz, Mendez and Marie Toby, chairwoman of the Tobago region, were Forteau, Andrew Salvador, Michael Joseph, Darren Sheppard, Allan Augustus and Trevor Reid.