Another witness gives evidence

ANOTHER witness gave evidence as the preliminary inquiry against eight persons and three companies continued yesterday. Corporal Joanne Archie, who is attached to the Anti-Corruption Unit, gave evidence-in-chief before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court. She will continue her evidence when hearing resumes this morning. Archie followed another Anti-Corruption Unit officer, ASP Wayne Boyd, who ended his testimony yesterday... for the time being. Boyd started giving evidence in March but remained on the witness stand as submission after submission interrupted his evidence. Boyd was cross-examined yesterday by defence attorneys Gillian Lucky, Vernon De Lima, and Reginald Armour. Further cross-examination has been reserved pending receipt of certain documents in the possession of the prosecution.

Armour’s cross-examination of the witness ended when he could not get Boyd to answer the question which he posed to the witness. Eight persons and three companies are charged with a total of 21 offences relating to the new Terminal Development Project at Piarco Airport. They are Brian Kuei Tung and Russell Huggins, former government ministers; Ish Galbaransingh, CEO of Northern Construction Ltd (NCL); Amrith Maharaj, financial comptroller of NCL; John Henry Smith, CEO of Maritime General Insurance Company; Steve Ferguson, chairman of Martime Group of Companies; Barbara Gomes, company secretary; businesswoman Renee Pierre; Maritime General Insurance Company; NCL; and Fidelity Insurance and Leasing Company Ltd.