2 lawyers, bailor to face fraud trial

One of three lawyers and a bailor charged with perverting the course of public justice by using a false deed to secure bail for a man on a drug charge was freed yesterday on a motion to stay the prosecution of the four accused. A jubilant attorney Yaseen Ali left the courtroom to hugs and kisses by his colleagues and friends after Justice Prakash Moosai ruled that there was insufficient evidence to sustain Ali’s indictment.

However, the three other accused, attorneys Ken Wright, Mervyn Mitchell and bailor Patrick Hannibal, will answer the charge before a jury. A jury was later impanelled in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal court where the men are expected to be tried for the offence, starting on Monday. Ali was represented by Senior Counsel Israel Khan, Larry Lalla and Nadia Astraph instructed by Llewellyn Thompson. Wright is being represented by Theodore Guerra SC, Pamela Elder SC, Gilbert Petersen SC and Margaret Rose. Mitchell by Osbourne Charles SC and Ravi Rajcoomar while Hannibal’s attorney is Colin Selvon. Senior prosecutor Wayne Rajbansie, assisted by Natasha George, are conducting the trial for the State. Khan said that this is a wake-up call to all attorneys to adhere to the ethics of the profession.