UNC top brass shocked

“No comment. I will talk this evening (at a rally at Rienzi Complex),” said Warner. Asked whether he thought the sentence of two years hard labour and a $60,000 fine was harsh, Warner stated: “Let the public decide that”.

“Right now I feeling lifeless. It is a sad way for a man who has given his entire life to end his final days, very very sad way. This was no leniency in the Magistrate’s faces. You could see that he came with that decision and no one could have caused him to change it,” Deputy Chaguanas Mayor Orlando Nagessar said.

The mouths of Bill Chaitan and Gary Griffith opened wide as they heard the news. “He’ll only be 74 years when he comes out,” Chaitan said dispiritedly. Griffith inquired again, “You sure it is not a suspended sentence, You sure?”

“Two years hard labour,” the voice confirmed.

The corridor of the court was lined with people waiting to see and hear.

As the dejected UNC’s top brass came out and one by one the comment was the same. “No comment. I have absolutely nothing to say,” said Warner. The party has decided not to say anything until this afternoon, after the Executive has met, Gopeesingh explained. A grim-faced Mark told the anxious media that the UNC would be making a statement this afternoon at Rienzi.

Panday’s daughter Mikela came out, wearing a slight smile. “No comment,” she said, when asked what was her reaction. Panday’s other daughter, Vashala, looked visibly upset and was hustled into a waiting SUV by Bharath, who held her protectively as she walked through the crowd.

Roodal Moonilal joined the chorus of “no comments” as he came out of the court.

Dorothy said “Jesus Christ went through worse than that so that ain’t nothing. They do worse than that to Jesus,” she said.

Earlier a courthouse full of UNC supporters, attorneys and media, murmured a collective “Ooooooh!” as Magistrate Sherman McNicholls said Panday was guilty on all three courts. McNicholls then announced that Panday would be fined $20,000 on each court. People seemed to relax when McNicholas stated that he (Panday) would receive a three year sentence with hard labour if he failed to pay the fine. But then McNicholls pronounced the two year sentence. It was at this stage that shell-shocked stares prevaded the court. It seemed as though no one expected it.

Earlier this morning, Panday had stated that he was prepared for any eventuality. “We must respect the law and the court. Where there is disrespect and disregard for the law and the court, the society will degenerate into anarchy and chaos.”

Up to this afternoon scores of people continued to flock outside the courts as persons, such as Oma Panday, and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj arrived following the verdict.