PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD (CMC):
A Trinidad and Tobago High Court judge has set September 19 as the start of the judicial review case brought by embattled Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma against Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
The review stems from the Chief Justice's alleged interference in the integrity trial of former prime minister Basdeo Panday. It follows complaints by Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls that Sharma had tried to influence the outcome of the trial.
Panday, 73, was sentenced to six years in jail to run concurrently and charged TT$20,000 (US$3,000) on each of the three counts for failing to declare a London bank account he held jointly with his wife for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999, while he served as prime minister. He has since been released on TT$300,000 (US$50,000) bail pending the outcome of an appeal.
