Businesswoman on criminal, fraud charges moves to have magistrate changed
BUSINESSWOMAN Simone King, also known as Dianne De Nobrega, facing 11 criminal charges of obtaining money by false pretence and fraudulent conversion before Magistrate Fazal Azeez, has claimed that the magistrate’s utterances show that he now is, or is likely to be, biased.
And the accused, on $2,925,000 bail in relation to four charges of obtaining money by false pretence and ten charges for fraudulent conversion, has approached the court for writs of prohibition.
The ex-parte matter has been filed in the Supreme Court Registry and has come up for hearing before Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, S.C. The applicant is represented by Attorney-at-Law Paul Fung-A-Fat.
She is asking for the following relief:
That an order Rule Nisi of Prohibition be granted directed to the Learned Magistrate Fazal Azeez, who presides at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court Three in the Georgetown Magisterial District, restraining him from presiding over her criminal charges on the ground that he is either biased, is likely to be biased, or appears to be biased; and that he should show cause why this Order or Rule Nisi of Prohibition should not be made absolute.
When the matter came up before acting Chief Justice Ian Chang on December 9, a Nisi Order was granted directing Magistrate Azeez to show cause why the Order should not be made absolute.
In her Affidavit in support of Notice of Motion, the applicant has set out 21 reasons which she is relying on. (George Barclay)