CJ Sharma returns home today

Chief Justice Sat Sharma returns to Trinidad this evening aboard flight BW 901 after an absence of one week, during which time his office at the Hall of Justice, was searched twice by the police.

The searches, on Thursday and Friday last week, while Sharma was attending a judical conference in Czechoslovokia, were carried out with a magistrate’s warrant. This followed a complaint made by the Chief magistrate, Sherman Mc Nicolls, alleging that Sharma tried to influence the verdict in the recent trial of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday. Mc Nicolls found Panday guilty under the Integrity in Public Life Act, and sentenced him to two years in jail.

According to reports, the police removed from Sharma’s office records of the names of people who visited the Chief Justice during and after Panday’s trial. Tomorrow, police are expected to interview Sharma at his office on the Mc Nicolls’ allegation and he is also expected to meet with Assistant Commissioner of Police Wellington Virgil, who heads up the police investigation into the allegations. The Assistant CoP has reportedly recovered from an injury to his leg for which he was hospitalised last week. The police already have statements from Mc Nicolls and Sir Timothy Cassell, who was the prosecutor in the Panday case.

Sharma is also facing removal from office under Section 137 of the Constitution.

Yesterday, speaking at the General Council meeting of the Peoples National Movement at the San Fernando, East Constituency, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that he has no dispute with the CJ but was just carrying out his duties under the Constitution.

Sharma is already fighting off impeachment proceedings with respect to an earlier complaint against him that he interferred in the murder case of Dr Vijay Naraynsingh.

This matter is before the court as Sharma had sought judicial review to block the setting up of a tribunal to investigate him.

On that occasion Manning called on the President to set up a tribunal to investigate the CJ .

However Prime Minister Manning made it clear yesterday that he has no dispute with Sharma.

Manning did not speak to the press, but after the meeting the party’s vice chairman, John Donaldson, told reporters, “The political leader in his address was very clear that he as the Prime Minister has no dispute with the Chief Justice.” Pressed by reporters to elaborate on the PM’s statement, he said he could not do so because this was all the PM had said in the matter.

“I can’t comment further,” he told reporters.

Donaldson said as Prime Minister, Manning said he was discharging his constitutional duty.

“Discharging it fairly and as he is constitutionally mandated to do,” Donaldson said.

Donaldson said the Integrity of Public Life Act was discussed and it it was the hope of members that Government re-affirm its commitment to integrity in public life.