Witness gets sore throat

The Piarco Airport Corruption inquiry resumed yesterday following an abrupt adjournment last  Thursday with one of the accused, Russel Huggins, falling ill during the proceedings. Additionally halfway during the proceedings yesterday, the State’s main witness, Senior Superintendent Maurice Piggott, noted to presiding Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls, that he had a throat infection. Piggott was earlier seen constantly wiping his forehead and heard clearing his throat. The witness also asked Magistrate Mc Nicolls for a chair to sit while giving his evidence during the proceedings. “Before we go any further, I would just like to let the attorneys know that if they have difficulty in hearing me, it is because I have a severe throat infection,” said Piggott. Piggott at the time was being questioned by prosecuting attorney, Gilbert Peterson about financial documents he obtained from several financial institutions.

The documents were yesterday being identified by the witness and marked for identification by Magistrate Mc Nicolls. There were several objections raised by members of the defence team about the documents being marked for identification, however the objections were overruled. Eight persons and three companies are charged with a total of 21 offences relating to the new terminal development project at Piarco Airport. They are former government ministers Brian Kuei Tung and Russel Huggins; CEO of Northern Construction Ltd (NCL) Ish Galbaransingh; CEO of Maritime General Insurance Company John Henry Smith; Maritime Group of Companies chairman Steve Ferguson; company secretary Barbara Gomes; businesswoman Renee Pierre, and Fidelity Insurance and Leasing Company Ltd. Hearing resumes today.