Tempers flare at SRP fraud inquiry

TEMPERS were barely kept in check yesterday as the continuation of the inquiry into fraud charges laid against two SRP officers got off to a bad start at the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court. At 9.15 am, Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls, defence attorney Rangee Dolsingh, State witness Cpl Rocky Mohammed of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the officers, Donald Snaggs and Roland Nicholson, were present and ready to proceed. State attorney Candia James, however, had not yet arrived. A seemingly annoyed McNicolls was about to start the proceedings without her, but agreed to wait a short while for her arrival at the request of Dolsingh. When James rushed into the courtroom 15 minutes later, her profuse apologies did not seem to appease the magistrate. 

The hearing continued in that vein for the rest of the proceedings. Shortly after Mohammed got on the witness stand and Dolsingh continued with his cross-examination, the noise outside of the courtroom became unbearable and McNicolls immediately dispatched an officer to order those standing in the hallway to vacate the area. “They are mainly police officers and attorneys,” the officer informed the magistrate. “Then tell them to go to their various courts,” McNicolls said in a raised voice. “Members of the public, police officers and attorneys you are all asked to be silent, you are disturbing the court,” the officer shouted. The noise subsided and the hearing continued. On several occasions during cross-examination, McNicolls was forced to act as a referee, as the contention between Dolsingh and Mohammed escalated. Sometimes Dolsingh was ordered to repeat or rephrase his questions and Mohammed was ordered to answer the questions. 

James made some objections to Dolsingh’s line of questioning, but crossed the line with the manner in which she made one objection. “I am objecting,” an irate James said. “Whether or not it is overruled, let it be recorded that an objection was made,” she continued. This caused Dolsingh to jump to his feet. “That is an insult to the magistrate,” he said. “What is that statement supposed to mean?” McNicolls asked the State attorney. “You will withdraw the statement,” he said. And to the former Deputy DPP, the magistrate ordered, “Rephrase the question.” Nicholson, of Picton Road, Laventille and Snaggs of Annette Street, Point Pleasant Park, Cunupia, were charged on December 21, 2002, with corruptly receiving $320 from Wayne Cedeno and his wife, Lima Andrews, as an inducement to forebear criminal charges. Andrews and Cedeno were not yet married at the time. The officers, who were then attached to the Police Traffic Branch, allegedly committed the offence in Westmoorings, Diego Martin. They will re-appear in court on Monday, when Mohammed will be further cross-examined by Dolsingh.