T&T: Magistrate biting like a bachac, sah!

Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls yesterday read the Riot Act to the team of attorneys prosecuting the eight business people and three companies charged with corruption in relation to the Piarco Airport Development Project.

He told Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Carla Brown-Antoine that he would discharge the 11 accused if the State does not improve upon the "woeful" manner in which it has been conducting the preliminary enquiry.

He also voiced his dissatisfaction with the progress of disclosing documents to the defence team-an issue which has caused vehement arguments between the State and defence at almost each hearing of the now two-year-old enquiry. "The State has come up against a formidable team of opponents and you should be fully cognizant of that," McNicolls told Brown-Antoine, referring to the battery of attorneys-among them six Senior Counsel-representing the accused.

He turned down an application made by Frank Solomon SC to discharge the accused, stating: "The way the prosecution is leading evidence is really woeful indeed, but at this point in time, and taking the scales of justice into consideration, I will not discharge the accused at this time".

He urged Brown-Antoine to liaise with an instructing attorney representing each accused to finally ensure that all the prosecution's documents relevant to the accused was disclosed, and set a May 5 deadline.

"I am giving the State as much time as it needs (and) if this is not done on the next (hearing), I will discharge the accused," the Chief Magistrate told Brown-Antoine.