Uproar over Armour

By ANDRE BAGOO Wednesday, October 17 2007

THE VICE President of the Law Association yesterday lashed out at a call from Reginald Armour SC, the counsel to the CJ Tribunal, advising the tribunal to not rush its report before the General Election, saying such a call opened Armour up to “severe criticism.”

The tribunal is investigating claims that suspended Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma interfered with the 2006 Basdeo Panday trial, and will produce a report recommending whether or not the President should refer the question of the removal of Sharma to the Judicial Committee.

Sharma has raised counter-claims of political interference on the part of Attorney General John Jeremie and the Executive.

Yesterday Armour stuck to his guns and hit back at those who have alleged the exertion of “political pressure”in his decision to advise the tribunal to take their time.

Yesterday, the law body’s VP Hendrickson Seunath SC said such advice was not consistent with “the interests of justice.”

“I think he is opening himself up to serious criticism and frankly my personal view is that he was out of place to advise the tribunal as such,” Seunath said of Armour’s call for the tribunal to avoid a “fixation on producing the report before polling day.”

But Seunath made it clear that he was coming to no conclusions on the matter himself, saying the report could either vindicate the Government or Sharma. The tribunal was aware that elections were in the air and went on to deliberately hold its proceedings in public... This affects the people of the country it doesn’t affect Sharma, Jeremie or (Prime Minister Patrick) Manning,” he said.

He was joined yesterday by Desmond Allum SC, the head of the Criminal Bar Association, who issued a press release criticising Armour’s advice as “impertinent.”

“Let the chips fall where they may and let them do so before the General Election,” he said.

As reported on Monday, Armour on October 8 advised the tribunal, comprising Lord Mustill (Chair), Sir Vincent Floissac QC and Dennis Morrison QC, to not rush to produce the report before the next General election, as had been promised by Mustill on the tribunal’s last day of hearing.

In a letter dated October 16 and addressed to one of Sharma’s attorneys Dennis Gurley, Armour defends his position. Responding to a letter from Gurley dated October 15 in which Gurley raises the spectre of possible political interference, Armour considered Gurley’s position to “be tiresome.” Armour letter was copied to the Tribunal Secretariat.

Reginal Armour is only singing for his fockin supper.

It would be very fockin interesting to collect data over the last six years to see how much fockin tax payers dollars he collect from all the fockery the PNM do over that period.

It's all about the fockin money. Ask Israel Khan.