Kuei Tung and others go to the Privy Council

Attorneys representing Brian Kuei Tung and others in the multi-million dollar Airport Authority fraud case, yesterday expressed their discontent with the ruling of the Court of Appeal that a list of all documents and material the State intended to use in the matter not be disclosed. Kuei Tung, former Minister of National Security, Russell Huggins, Ishwar Galbaransingh, Amrith Maharaj, Steve Ferguson, John Smith, Renee Pierre and Barbara Gomes are jointly charged with Maritime Fidelity Finance and Leasing Company and Northern Construction Limited (NCL) with conspiring to defraud the Airport Authority of over $19 million by false pretences between July 26 and December 21, 2002. Following lengthy arguments on the issue of disclosure in late January, Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls agreed to an application for the State to make a list of all documents and material they intend to use in the case. The application was however denied when it went before the Court of Appeal. “The ruling of the Court of Appeal is wrong. It is extravagant and it is not in alignment with the process of preliminary inquiries in this country,” exclaimed defence attorney Frank Solomon SC.

He then indicated to the Magistrate that he would be seeking the leave of the Court of Appeal to take the matter before the Privy Council. In a strange twist, Yvette Crooks, the person who originally stood bail for Pierre, made an application for the bail to be revoked due to an unforeseen family circumstance. Mc Nicolls granted the application and revoked bail which was taken on a $540,000 property. Pierre however had another bailor, William Chin, who was prepared to stand her bail. Sources informed Newsday that Pierre, who was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs by police, was released on bail soon after the case was adjourned. Allan Alexander SC, attorney for Kuei Tung and Pierre, was absent, and was represented by Ian Brooks. Mc Nicolls adjourned the matter to October 13.