Cases adjourned after

CHIEF MAGISTRATE Sherman Mc Nicolls rushed out of his court at 10.05 am yesterday and never returned. Mc Nicolls was about to call the first witness in the preliminary inquiry into the murder of United States war veteran Balram “Balo” Maharaj, when his secretary came into the court.

The secretary handed Mc Nicolls a folder. The Chief Magistrate immediately read the contents and announced that he had to leave the courtroom, for ten minutes.

Mc Nicolls left the court with his two security officers.

However, the ten minutes turned into 25 minutes. It was then that court prosecutor Inspector Kenneth Cordner announced to a packed, but stunned court, that the Chief Magistrate had been called away to a very urgent meeting.

Cordner said a Justice of the Peace would come to court to adjourn all cases. There was a buzz around the court. The announcement was greeted with debate from the bar table and the public gallery. Mc Nicolls left the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court to attend a meeting with Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul at the nearby Police Administration building, Newsday was told.

The Chief Magistrate first arrived in court at 9.55 am and inquired from lead prosecutor Israel Khan SC about the status of the case. Khan told the court he was ready. The defence lawyers were also present.

The staff to operate the audio digital recording system were present and all was set to begin the inquiry.

The first witness — police photographer PC Nigel Bedeau, was called to the witness stand. Bedeau came into court and went into the witness box. As he held on to the Bible, Mc Nicolls’ secretary entered the court and handed him the folder.

That was the end of the plan to start the inquiry. Sometime later, Justice of the Peace Ann Doughty-Munroe came into the court to adjourn cases. The six persons charged with Maharaj’s murder had their case adjourned to May 25. The case against five others for extradition to the United States was also adjourned to May 25. Three other murder accused had their cases put off to May 22.