Defence argues with State over new charges

ATTORNEYS for some of the persons already charged in the $1.6 billion Piarco Airport terminal corruption inquiry have received notices of new charges that are expected to be laid against their clients. Accused Steve Ferguson, Ishwar Galbaransingh, Amrith Maharaj, Brian Kuei Tung, Raul Gutierrez, Sadiq Baksh, Ameer Edoo, Tyrone Gopee, Peter Cateau, Edward Bayley, and Renee Pierre are before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on a total of 19 charges arising out of a probe into corruption involving the construction of the Piarco Airport Terminal.

When the matter was called yesterday morning, defence attorney Pamela Elder SC indicated that she would be unable to address a proposal made by Espinet at the last hearing, that all the matters of all the accused be heard together, until the new charges were laid. The magistrate, who claimed she had no knowledge of those charges, then enquired about Elder’s position on all the present matters being heard together.

In response, the defence attorney argued it would be “oppressive” to have her clients sit through hearing evidence of witnesses for the 19 offences, when only one of the charges involved them. “It is a waste of my client’s time and a waste of counsel’s time because the evidence will be irrelevant,” she said. This view was upheld by other members of the defence team. However, attorney for the State Gilbert Petersen SC argued that hearing all the matters at the same time would save judicial time and expenses by avoiding the hearing of several different Preliminary In-quiries related to the same charges.