Ankrah vs Elias Tuesday

MADAME Justice Amrika Tiwary-Reddy yesterday granted beauty queen Cheryl Ankrah time to respond to an affidavit filed by attorneys for Peter Elias and Associates in its attempt to disqualify the model from representing Trinidad and Tobago at the Miss Universe 2005 pageant. Ankrah’s affidavit must be filed by tomorrow. The queen and the company have been locked in a legal battle since the company alleged that she had failed to comply with the preparatory requirements for the pageant.

This year’s pageant will be held in Thailand on May 31. A selection process to find a replacement for Ankrah was scheduled for February 19 at Trotters, but the beauty queen was granted an injunction that same day, preventing the company from selecting a delegate to replace her. When the matter came up before Justice David Myers at the Port-of-Spain Assizes on February 23, he ruled that Ankrah’s injunction remained in effect and gave Elias’ attorneys Om Lalla and Bejili Lalla until March 3 to file a response to Ankrah’s injunction. In support of its claim, the company had filed its affidavit, as well as affidavits by chief judge at the local leg of the pageant Dominic Kalipersad, Wendy Fitzwilliam, fitness trainer Gerard Alphonso and others. The matter was adjourned to March 15 and 16 for trial. Ankrah is being represented by attorneys Denyse Gouviea and Andre des Vignes.