Court puts Tobago band in semis

A HIGH COURT Judge, sitting in Tobago, granted an injunction late yesterday compelling Pan Trinbago to allow Tobago-based Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra to play and to be judged at tomorrow’s National Panorama semi-finals at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Justice Allan Mendonca granted the ex-parte injunction after hearing submissions from Martin George, who was representing the steelband group. The case will be heard again in the Scarborough High Court on Wednesday. The court said if the band was validly excluded from the preliminary round, then the scores from tomorrow’s semi-finals will not be allowed to stand. The injunction was granted after the executive members of Katzenjammers decided to take court action. The plaintiffs in the matter were Gemma Duke, Maxson Ramsey, Bert Ramsey, Beverly Ramsey-Moore, and Roland Williams.

According to Ramsey-Moore, public relations officer, the band was informed by letter dated January 21 that the following were the judges for the preliminary round — Jocelyn Pierre, Jessel Murray, Lorna Conyette with Victor Mc Gill as alternate. Katzenjammers performed before the judges on February 2 and when the results and the score sheets were provided, Ramsey-Moore said the band members were alarmed to discover that Mc Gill appeared as Judge No. 1. She said there was no score sheet for Jessel Murray and instead there purported to be a score sheet from one “C.” She said the name Sow Ping Chow, whom they did not know, signed the score sheet with the letters ‘ALT’ appearing after some figure or number had been scored off. “What makes this even more relevant is the fact that the scores of the alternate judge are not included in the final tally of a band’s points.

The alternate judge as prescribed by Pan Trinbago, Victor Mc Gill, is one who gave us the lowest score and yet it appears that this score was included in our final tally and the score of Jessel Murray is missing and in its place is a score from the unknown entity “C.” Ramsey-Moore said her band was informed by Pan Trinbago that the Tobago band did not make it to the National Panorama semi-finals tomorrow at the Savannah. She said the steelband body failed or refused to communicate to the band the queries raised about the judging procedure. Ramsey-Moore said her band stands to be severely prejudiced if they are kept out of the National Panorama semi-finals by the loss of several thousands of dollars in appearance fees, the loss of tremendous prestige and acclaim and their first ever opportunity to be in the National Panorama semi-finals.

The PRO said when one looks at the scores of Pierre and Conyette, it makes it even more important for members to know the score of the third judge — Murray — in order to determine whether the band validly qualified for the semi-finals or not. “We have invested a tremendous amount of time, money, energy and the relentless dedication of dozens of young persons who have practised day and night to make this our best Panorama preliminary presentation ever and it is particularly disheartening and disappointing to participate in the National Panorama semi-finals without knowing our true scores.” Ramsey-Moore said the band has transportation on standby to go to the Savannah on Sunday.