NLCB director granted leave for judicial review

ACTING deputy director of the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) Carmel Smith was yesterday granted leave for judicial review against a decision by the Statutory Authorities Services Commission (SASC) to put her on suspension. Through her attorney Anand Ramlogan, Smith claimed political victimisation was the reason for her suspension from duty over the past 17 months. Smith, 52, of Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, appeared in the San Fernando High Court yesterday morning for the hearing of a lawsuit she filed seeking to have NLCB explain why she has been on suspension since August 2, 2002. She contended that to date no complaint or charges have been filed against her. A judicial review application filed by Ramlogan on January 16 came up for hearing before Justice David Myers in the San Fernando First Civil Court yesterday.