Judge gives leave to UNC

A JUDGE in the San Fernando High Court yesterday granted leave for the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) to seek judicial review of the alleged failure of the Integrity Commission (IC) to disclose whether Members of Parliament filed declarations of their income and assets. Justice Peter Jamadar granted the leave to UNC’s Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma. One of several grounds of the lawsuit, contended that he (Sharma) needed to know if Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley had filed any such declaration. In court documents filed in the Sub-Registry in San Fernando yesterday, Sharma stated as a ground that a  Commission of Inquiry was recently appointed to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in which the name of the Deigo Martin MP had been mentioned.

Sharma stated: “The applicant is entitled to know whether Rowley and other Government ministers have filed their declarations as required by the law and the Commission itself.” And in acordance with the Integrity in Public Life Act, Sharma stated, the Opposition was entitled to know whether Government ministers or other officials had filed. Sharma stated that he wrote to the Commission on October 13, seeking information on the filing of such declarations. He was yet to receive a reply, the MP stated. Attorney Anand Ramlogan, instructed by Narendra Lalbeharry, argued before Justice Jamadar, the grounds for grant-ing leave to judicially review the IC’s failure to respond. In granting leave, Jamadar said the case was one of public importance and required urgent attention of the court.