Abbi loses fight to kaiso finals

ABBI BLACKMAN-KHALABI, the 2005 National Calypso Queen, yesterday lost her court battle to be included in the Calypso Monarch finals at the Queen’s Park Savannah last night. Justice David Myers, presiding in the Port-of-Spain High Court, dismissed her application for an injunction just before 5 pm, saying he must maintain the status quo and the Dimanche Gras show would go on without the reigning queen. Her attorney Farid Scoon outlined the circumstances surrounding Blackman-Khalabi’s exclusion from the Calypso finals. According to Scoon, Blackman had more than accumulated enough points to be included in the Dimanche Gras finals. He cited several errors in the judges’ score sheets which were made available upon request.

Scoon explained that following a meeting with Blackman-Khalabi and Michael Legerton, Head of Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organisation (TUCO), it was decided that she would perform at the semi-final round of the show which took place on January 29. It was also agreed that she would perform despite any rehearsals as the arrangement was described as “last minute.” The attorney went further to explain to Justice Myers that Blackman-Khalabi after her performance, still failed to make it into the final round of the competition, and questioned the rules surrounding the judging of the competition and the point system.

In closing his submission, Scoon told the court “if she (Blackman) is excluded, the damage cannot be measured. You could measure the prize money she would have lost. She would also lose the benefits that accrue to a person who enters the finals, such as international travel and what have you.  “She also would not know how much her COTT royalties would have increased. We are saying that if a mandatory order to include her into competition is not granted, then the show must be stopped.” Attorney representing TUCO, Theodore Guerra SC, in his submission said there was no breach of contract as far as the judging of the competition was concerned. “By comparative analysis, one can only come to the conclusion that Ms Blackman came 31st in the competition which had 30 contestants carded for the semi-final show,” Guerra said.