Panday taking case to Privy Council

PORT-OF-SPAIN (CMC):

Former prime Minister Basdeo Panday has been given the nod to go before the London-based Privy Council to challenge a ruling by a magistrate who has refused to recuse herself from presiding over a criminal case involving himself, his wife and a former government minister.

The three-member Appeal Court, headed by Chief Justice Ivor Archie, granted leave to the accused to challenge the decision by Magistrate Ejenny Espinet.

The magistrate is hearing the case in which the former prime minister and his wofe, Oma, are accused of accepting a bribe totalling £25,000 (US$40,998) from businessman Ishwar Galbaransingh and former government minister Carlos John.

The Pandays are contending that Espinet was a trustee and treasurer of the Morris Marshall Development Foundation.

The Pandays also contended that Espinet's father, Alexander Chamberlain Alexis, was a former People's National Movement minister in the Dr Eric Williams government and have raised the issue of the magistrate having an apparent bias against them through their opposing political affiliations.

The preliminary enquiry began before Espinet on May 31, 2006, but the Pandays only raised the issue of bias on February 12, 2008.