Dhanraj is his own lawyer

The magistrate told Singh he had promised a prisoner to start his case yesterday.

The former minister in the 1999-2004 UNC government is charged with soliciting and corruptly receiving an estimated $2 million from Karamchand Rampersad of Oilfield and Marine Sales and Services Limited.

The offences are alleged to have been committed between May 31, 1999 and February 2000, while Singh served as a minister of Government. The charge was laid under Section 3:1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act No 11 of 1987.

The charges were laid by Supt Wellington Virgil of the Fraud Squad Division. Singh could face up to seven years in jail on each count if he is found guilty. When the case was called State attorney Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds was not in court and the matter was stood down for five minutes.

When the case was recalled, Ramsumair-Hinds told Wellington that the State would be leading evidence in two separate parts. Indicating that the State was ready to proceed, the State attorney told the magistrate that she had four witnesses in court — businessman Rampersad (Karamchand), his daughter Carla, Justice of the Peace Ezra Dube and ACP Virgil.

She said that Rampersad’s evidence was very detailed and would take more than a day to complete. Wellington then asked Singh whether he intends to retain an attorney. A smiling accused Singh replied, “Not likely sir.”

Told by Wellington that he could face between five to seven years in jail if the matter goes to trial and he’s found guilty, Singh insisted that he would represent himself.