JP charged with perjury

Thomas Peters of Beetham Gardens, appeared before Magistrate Marcia Murray in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court charged with giving the false evidence on November 23, 2004 at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court.

It is alleged Peters gave false evidence during the preliminary inquiry into murder charges against Rudy Nelson and three others who were charged with the December 2003 murder of businessman Christopher Aleong at Hibiscus Drive, Petit Valley. Aleong was shot dead as he left home to go to work.

The charge was laid indictably so Peters was not called upon to plead.

He was charged by acting Inspector John Thorpe of the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB).

Attorney Larry Williams sought bail for Peters saying his client was a diabetic who suffered a stroke recently and was in dire need of medical attention.

Williams asked for reasonable bail so his client could look after his health. Because of the recent stroke, Peters had to be assisted to court by a walking stick.

The prosecution had no objection to bail. Murray granted Peters $50,000 bail with a surety to be approved by the Clerk of the Peace. The case was then adjourned to July 27.

In the same court, Dexter Taylor of Second Caledonia in Morvant, appeared on six charges — four charges of uttering a forged document and two of making a false statutory declaration.

It was alleged that on October 8, 2005, Taylor went to the Port-of-Spain State Prison where he tendered two false deeds and two false land tax receipts to secure bail for two incarcerated persons.

It was also alleged Taylor made two false statutory declarations on the same day. Taylor was unrepresented in court so he made no application for bail.

Murray transferred the case to the First Court on Monday where the presiding magistrate would deal with the question of bail.

Taylor was remanded into custody where he would spend the weekend.

The charges were laid by PC Gerald Baldwin of the ACIB.