Lawyers’ fraud trial opens with legal submissions

Lone senior State prosecutor Wayne Rajbansie found himself yesterday up against the top five Senior Counsels in the Criminal Bar in the trial of three lawyers on an 11 count indictment. Before  arraignment of attorneys Ken Wright, Yaseen Ali, Mervyn Mitchell and bailor Patrick Hannibal, legal arguments started before trial judge Justice Prakash Moosai. These arguments are expected to continue for the rest of the week. The five SC in the matter are Theodore Guerra, Israel Khan, Osbourne Charles, Pamela Elder and Gilbert Petersen. When the matter was called in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court yesterday, Guerra indicated that he would like to address the court on certain issues before a jury was selected and the accused arraigned.

The panel of jurors assigned to the Third Court was asked to return on Monday, by which time it is hoped that legal submissions on behalf of all four accused and a response by the State would be concluded. Guerra was the first to start the submissions and continued throughout the day. He will be followed by one of each attorneys representing the other accused. Guerra, Elder, Petersen and Richard Mason are defending Wright. Khan, Larry Lalla and Nadia Astraph instructed by Llewellyn Thompson are for Ali. Charles and Ravi Rajcoomar are for Mitchell while Hannibal is being defended by Colin Selvon. Rajbansie,  the only  prosecutor in the trial yesterday, will have to respond to all issues raised in each submission, and conduct the trial. Among the charges against the lawyers are conspiracy with other persons to pervert the course of public justice and conspiracy with intent to defraud, forge deeds in order to use as security to secure bail for Maximo Jose Gonzales, a Venezuelan charged with trafficking in cocaine. When hearing resumes today, the defence will continue with its submissions.