Clash of PM and CJ

Fri March 31: Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls reports to the AG the suspicious appearance of a cheque from a Clico-subsidiary for buying his land, which the AG later dubs an attempt to tarnish someone (McNicolls).

Mon April 24: Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls convicts former UNC chairman Basdeo Panday of breaching the Integrity in Public Life Act 1987 over a $10 million London bank account, and criticises the defence testimony of Clico head Lawrence Duprey.

Mon May 1: At a UNC rally in Felicity former attorney-general Ramesh Maharaj raises questions about a suspicious land deal.

Fri May 5: McNicolls complains that Chief Justice Sat Sharma tried to interfere in the Panday trial.

Mon May 8: CJ reports McNicolls to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission for saying the CJ had tried to influence the Panday trial.

Tues May 9: Prime Minister Patrick Manning summons CJ Sharma to a meeting at his Whitehall office and confronts him with Mc Nicolls’ allegations that Sharma tried to sway the outcome of Panday’s trial.

Wed May 10: PM cancels trip to Europe over crisis.

PM and President George Maxwell Richards discuss a second move to impeach the CJ.

PM speaks by phone to CJ telling him he has sent McNicolls’ complaint to the AG, and that he has begun to impeach him under section 137 of the Constitution.

The CJ issues an eight-page statement charging a political conspiracy to hound him out of office.

Thur May 11: AG John Jeremie sends McNicolls’ complaint to DPP Geoffrey Henderson and acting Commissioner of Police Glen Roach to act as they see fit.

Fri May 12: In the House of Representatives the PM says he wants more information over whether to impeach the CJ.

PM gives his account of what transpired between himself and CJ at the Whitehall meeting.

PM says CJ was incoherent when confronted with McNicolls’ charges, and that PM suggested that if CJ chose to he could demit office voluntarily rather than face criminal proceedings.

Sharma gets permission to apply from Justice Rajendra Narine for judicial review of any move to impeach him under section 137 of the National Constitution.

DPP removes himself from the current controversy because of his involvement in the last controversy involving the CJ.

Sat May 13: CJ flies out of TT to a judges’ conference in Europe.