CoP Paul leads search

COMMISSIONER of Police (CoP) Trevor Paul, led a team of Fraud Squad officers yesterday to the Chambers of Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain and seized two documents.

This was the second visit to Sharma’s office by police, the first being on Thursday afternoon when they were not able to conduct a search.

The police action on Thursday and yesterday is the latest development following complaints by Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls that Sharma attempted to influence the verdict in the recent trial of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.

The personal Secretary to the Chief Justice, Miss Isles, was interviewed by the Fraud Squad officers.

The search was witnessed by Ag Chief Justice Roger Hamel Smith, Justice of Appeal Stanley John and Desmond Allum SC who is Sharma’s attorney.

The officers arrived at the Hall of Justice at about 9.20 am and spent close to one and a half hours, then departed.

They returned at about 2 pm and removed another document, related to the first one, seized in the morning search.

Police sources would only divulge yesterday that the officers found what they were looking for.

CoP Paul was accompanied by acting Inspectors Raphael Romany, Wayne McFarlane and Charmaine Williams.

The Chief Justice is out of the country and is due to return on Monday. He has been contacted by his attorneys and briefed about the search at his office. On Thursday afternoon, the officers were unable to execute a search warrant because the custodian of the document whom they sought, had already left for the day.

The head of the investigations ACP Wellington Virgil is on sick leave following injuries to his left foot.

Virgil was mandated by Ag Police Commissioner Glen Roach on May 11, to begin investigations into allegations made by the Chief Magistrate. Mc Nicolls has already provided ACP Virgil with a detailed statement. The following day, the Chief Justice was visited by ACP Virgil who provided him with an oral summary of the investigations.