Judge blanks ADB officials

FORMER chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) Hubert Alleyne, acting chief executive officer Jacqueline Rawlins and two other ADB officials were yesterday refused an application before a High Court judge to intervene in a judical review case involving axed ADB chief executive officer Seeballack Singh. Madame Justice Amrika Tiwarie, sitting in the Fifth Civil Court in the Hall of Justice at Port-of-Spain, dismissed the application and ordered the interveners to pay Singh’s legal costs.

Singh is represented by Dr Fenton Ramsahoye SC and Anand Ramlogan, while Alleyne and the other interveners were represented by Dr Claude Denbow SC and Kelvin Ramkissoon. Attorneys Elton Prescott and Phillip Lamont represented the ADB. Madame Justice Tiwarie ruled the interveners were not directly affected by the judicial review action brought by Singh against the ADB. The judge held that they could be adequately represented and heard through the attorneys representing the bank.

Singh is seeking judicial review for his termination from ADB which he claimed was for his refusal to implement a Board decision to invest $4.5 million of the ADB’s funds with CLICO. Singh said he objected to this decision because the Auditor General and the Ministry of Finance had previously objected to and criticised such an investment. Last week the High Court dismissed an application by the bank’s attorneys to set aside the order of Justice David Meyers in granting leave to Singh to challenge his dismissal.