PM lawsuit for urgent hearing

The Court of Appeal yesterday ruled that the lawsuit involving Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Assistant Commissioner of Valuations, Ganga Persad-Kissoon, be heard urgently before a High Court judge. Persad-Kissoon, who had been bypassed for the position of Commissioner of State Lands after the Prime Minister had informed the Public Service Commission (PSC) that he did not approve of Persad-Kissoon for the position, had filed for judicial review against Manning.

Stephanie Elder-Alexander, whom Persad-Kissoon contended was junior to him, was appointed to the position. Persad-Kissoon was subsequently granted an injunction preventing the PSC from appointing Elder-Alexander to the post. That injunction, however, was discharged last month by Justice Gregory Smith in the San Fernando Chamber Court. When the matter came up before Justices of Appeal Roger Hamel-Smith, Stanley John and Allan Mendonca at the Port-of-Spain Assizes yesterday, they noted the urgency with which the matter should be dealt with in light of the discharged injunction. Persad-Kissoon was represented by attorney Anand Ramlogan, while attorney Russell Martineau appeared for the State.