Panday’s motion put off to Thursday

THE constitutional motion brought by former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday has been adjourned to Thursday.

When the motion was called before Madame Justice Rajnauth-Lee in the Port-of-Spain Second Civil Court yesterday, Panday’s lead attorney Allan Alexander SC said he had only received the State’s skeletal arguments on Friday and he was not in a position to respond to them as yet. Alexander asked for an adjournment to deal with the matter. Dr Lloyd Barnett who represents the Attorney General agreed and the matter was put to Thursday. Both sides revealed that they would each take two days to make their submissions. Panday, political leader of the United National Congress (UNC), filed a constitutional motion in which he is contending that his constitutional rights were or likely to be infringed if the trial against him for allegedly failing to declare a bank account held at the London Westminster Bank proceeds.

Senior Supt Wellington Virgil, head of the Fraud Squad,  filed three charges against Panday under the Integrity in Public Life Act 1987. He is accused of failing to declare his assets for the years 1997, 1998, and 1999. In April, Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls agreed to submissions by Alexander and referred the matter to the High Court for determination. As a result, the trial before the Chief Magistrate has been adjourned pending the final determination of the constitutional motion. Also appearing for Panday were Desmond Allum SC, Fyard Hosein, Rajiv Persad, and Devesh Maharaj. Representing the Attorney General were Douglas Mendes and State attorney Rehanna Hosein.