Judge halts Bonadie inquest

High Court Judge Justice Prakash Moosai put a temporary halt yesterday on the Galene Bonadie inquest, which was being heard before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls, until a matter concerning attorney Ravi Rajcoomar is cleared up. Not only did Justice Moosai stay the inquest, but he also granted Rajcoomar leave for judicial review of Mc Nicolls’ decision to call him as a witness in the matter.

Rajcoomar, who was looking after the interest of the Bonadie family, was summoned by Mc Nicolls to testify in the matter after revelations that he had taken statements from witnesses to the shooting incident in which Bonadie was killed. The statements from some of the witnesses were said to be almost identical. Sitting as coroner in the inquest, Mc Nicolls was to determine if three policemen involved in the shooting are culpable in Bonadie’s death. The policemen are being represented by Israel Khan SC. The application before Justice Moosai, in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Civil Court, was made by Karl Hudson-Phillips QC, Theodore Guerra SC and Peter Rajcoomar instructed by Darrel Allahar. Rajcoomar’s attorneys suggested that Mc Nicolls’ order to call Rajcoomar as a witness was illegal, null and void and of no effect. They also wanted the court to overrule Mc Nicolls’ summons for Rajcoomar to testify.

They got an interim order that Rajcoomar not be required to testify at the inquest until the judicial review proceedings are determined. In granting leave to fully pursue the reliefs, the court also ordered that the file in the matter be kept in the custody of the Registrar of the Supreme Court unless it is being used in court, or until the High Court makes additional orders. Rajcoomar was ordered to file his motion for judicial review before February 10, 2005, the date when hearing in the inquest is listed to resume. The order was signed by Assistant Registrar Margaret Mohammed.