Two accused ill
TWO of the accused in the Piarco Airport terminal corruption case are ill. American Raul Gutierrez and former Nipdec chairman Edward Bayley failed to appear before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet in the Port-of-Spain First Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Gutierrez had eye surgery recently, while Bayley’s medical condition has deteriorated, his attorney told the court yesterday. But the other nine appeared in court. They were Steve Ferguson, Ish Galbaransingh, Brian Kuei Tung, Sadiq Baksh, Ameer Edoo, Tyrone Gopee, Peter Cateau, Ronald Birk, and Edwardo Hillman-Waller. They are charged with corruptly receiving more than $144 million in contracts for the new Piarco Airport terminal between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2001. Pamela Elder SC, who represents the American accused, complained of the attitude of the prosecution in the case. She said the time may have come for the State to compensate her clients who have to come from the United States only to hear that the prosecution was not ready. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Carla Brown-Antoine said the prosecution intends to file a motion in the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision of the magistrate who ruled in September that five companies which were charged, must be represented by persons within the employ of their respective companies. Espinet pointed out that she had exercised a lot of judicial restraint in this case to date, stressing that she needs to start the inquiry. It was then adjourned to March 2.
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"Two accused ill"