PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
A HIGH Court judge will rule today whether or not to grant leave to former prime minister Basdeo Panday to file for judicial review of the decision of the Chief Magistrate to pursue with three criminal charges against him.
Panday, 72, is charged with failing to declare his London bank account to the Integrity Commission for the years 1997, 1998, and 1999. The case has been before the courts here for more than three years.
Justice Judith Jones on Monday heard submissions from attorneys representing Panday and the Chief Magistrate, Sherman McNicolls and later said she would put her decision in writing.
Last week, Panday's lawyers had raised preliminary submissions seeking to convince McNicolls to dismiss the charges but their arguments were rejected leading them to file for judicial review.
In their submission before the High Court, Panday's lawyers argued that the Chief Magistrate failed to give reasons when he dismissed the arguments last week. They contended that substantial submissions had been presented to the Chief Magistrate and the prosecution had responded without citing one authority.
The lawyers also argued that they had informed the Chief Magistrate that Panday's petition for special leave is due to be heard before the Privy Council on February 16 and despite this, McNicolls still insisted that the summary trial begin.
