Bakr wants case against him dropped

Notice of the letter having been sent was relayed to Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar by Bakr’s lead counsel Wayne Sturge when the matter came up for hearing in the Port of Spain Eight Magistrates Court yesterday.

In the letter, dated April 4, 2017, Sturge reminded DPP Roger Gaspard, SC, of his power to intervene and discontinue prosecutions.

Sturge also reminded Gaspard of his (Gaspard’s) own appearance at the enquiry at which he offered suggestions to the commissioners for the taking of Bakr’s testimony after the Muslimeen leader, through his attorney, expressed his reluctance to appear, citing pre-trial publicity at his sedition trial.

Sturge, in his letter to Gaspard, referred him to a similar decision he took in the Clico and HCU commission of inquiry and of his previous decision to prosecute Bakr for failing to appear before the 1990 commission.

Sturge gave Gaspard 14 days in which to intervene in the magisterial proceedings against Bakr.

At yesterday’s sitting, Bakr was expected to open his defence after Ayers-Caesar, on March 24, ruled that he had a case to answer.

The matter was adjourned to April 19.

The complaint was brought by the secretary to the Commission of Enquiry after Bakr failed to heed a summons to appear before the enquiry in September 2013.

Representing the commission are attorneys Senior Counsel Israel Khan and Larry Lalla while Sturge and Criston J Williams appear for Bakr.