Case against PM

THE FIRST legal challenge mounted by Chief Justice Sat Sharma more than a year ago, will finally be heard at the Port-of-Spain High Court. Sharma’s judicial review brought against Prime Minister Patrick Manning against a decision to report him (Sharma) to President George Maxwell Richards, will be heard from October 2 and 6.

The date was finally agreed when both parties appeared yesterday before Justice Carlton Best. Russell Martineau SC appeared for Sharma while Douglas Mendes SC and Stuart Young represented the Prime Minister.

Sharma is challenging the decision of the Prime Minister to report to the President that a tribunal should be appointed to investigate allegations made against him (Sharma).

The President was about to appoint a three-member tribunal when Sharma brought judicial review proceedings.

The tribunal was to be appointed to investigate an allegation that Sharma tried to influence Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Geoffrey Henderson not to prosecute his friend, popular vascular surgeon Dr Vijay Naraynsingh.

Dr Naraynsingh was charged with the murder of his second wife, Dr Chandra Naraynsingh who was gunned down outside the Langmore Health Foundation on June 29, 1994. Dr Naraynsingh was charged with his third wife Seeromani and businessman Elton Ramasir.

He was discharged by deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court in March 2005. Seeromani and Ramasir were freed by Justice Herbert Volney in the San Fernando High Court in January.

Last week, lawyers for both parties settled the affidavits paving the way for the case to start. Both parties have indicated their interest in cross-examining persons who swore to affidavits.

These include Manning, Sharma, Justice Roger Hamel-Smith, Attorney General John Jeremie and DPP Henderson.

Long after this judicial review was brought by Sharma, another controversy surfaced.

In May this year, Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls reported that Sharma tried to influence him in reaching a certain decision in the trial of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.

Mc Nicolls found Panday guilty, fined him $60,000 and jailed him for two years for knowingly failing to declare his London bank account to the Integrity Commission for the years 1997, 1998, and 1999.

Last Monday, Sharma filed for judicial review against the decision of the deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Carla Brown-Antoine to advise the police to initiate criminal proceedings against him.