Judge gives up Property Tax case

Justice Frank Seepersad has given up the Property Tax case. Sources said Seepersad was one of a number of judges asked to each relinquish ten cases to be assigned to newly appointed judges. One of the cases Seepersad chose was the Property Tax case.

The judge was assigned this case which was filed by former UNC minister Devant Maharaj in early May. It has now been reassigned to Justice Jacqueline Wilson who vacated the trial date of September 19 and 21. No new trial dates have been set. Questions were raised when Seepersad was also assigned to several other high-profile cases filed by the UNC, including a challenge of the appointment of two new judges and the demolition of illegal squatters in Valencia.

A statement from the Judiciary sought to set the record straight on how civil cases were assigned. According to the Judiciary, a computer programme randomly selected judges to new cases. In June, the appellate court overturned Seepersad’s ruling on whether the State could continue to accept Property Tax valuation forms from citizens. It, however, sent the issue back to trial before Seepersad.