Missing depositions…
ACTING Supreme Court Registrar Bibi Ali yesterday offered an explanation to Justice James Bovell-Drakes for three depositions that were reported missing and blamed for delaying the murder trial of Kenrick Heywood, Diallo George and Paul Bagot.

As a result of his being satisfied, the judge, who had asked for the information while receiving the Jail Delivery at the end of the October Criminal Sessions last year, commended Ali and her staff.

In relation to each prisoner, the Acting Registrar said:

* copies of the Heywood depositions were forwarded to the Director of

Public Prosecutions (DPP) on January 5;

* the preliminary inquiry (PI) in George’s case was completed on December 6,

2007 by Magistrate Oneidge Waldron-Allicock who, inadvertently, did not

sign the Committal Order and resigned before the discovery was made.

Consequently the Chancellor has ordered that the matter be reheard and it

is to start January 12 and

* Bagot’s case is now fixed for hearing before Magistrate Hazel Octave-

Hamilton on January 22, to comply with instructions from the DPP.

State Prosecutor Ganesh Hira, who was before Justice Bovell-Drakes yesterday, confirmed that the January Criminal Sessions will be officially opened on Tuesday, January 12.