Witness bats for Club O Bar

Baksh made the statement on the witness stand before Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim at the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon.

She was the first witness called by attorney, Keith Scotland, who is representing the club in the matter of the granting of an occasional licence to the business to host functions.

Residents of Bayside Towers, which is near Club O, are fighting the granting of the licence on the grounds that the entertainment venue is a nuisance to them.

Baksh, who said she lived at 187-189 Western Main Road all her life, told the court that Club O does not prevent her from being in her gallery, or back porch, or from entertaining guests.

No member of her family, she said, including her ailing 80-year-old grandmother, has been affected by noise or lights coming from the bar.

Baksh said she had no objection to Club O remaining open.

On cross-examination of the witness, attorney, Deborah Peake SC, representing the Bayside Towers residents, asked Baksh how many conversations she had with people from Club O.

Baksh replied that she did not understand the question.

In reply to a question from Peake, Baksh said that she studied tourism at the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Hospitality and Tourism.

Baksh then told Peake that she did not know if conversations included brief greetings. She said she had brief greetings with some Club O representatives, and one or two conversations.

Baksh, who is also a hostess at the Lure Restaurant and Bar in Chaguaramas as part of her tourism internship, said she spoke to Christophe Rochford, a former bartender at the O Bar. Peake asked her if she spoke to former Bayside Towers chairman, Francesca Pires, and Baksh replied yes. However, she said she did not know that Pires was associated with Club O. Baksh said she has been to the club "about twice," and Peake wanted to know if she paid a fee to get in.

"Who I went in with paid," the student replied.