Confrontation & allegations stall no-case ruling yesterday
JUSTICE Roxanne George, presiding in the Kwasi murder trial, did not deliver her ruling on the defence’s no-case submission yesterday morning, as she had promised in open court the previous day. As is customary, the hearing of the court was to have resumed yesterday morning at 9.30‘o’clock, when the judge was expected to swear out the jurors in order to deliver her ruling in their absence.
The judge, instead, was in chambers, and did not ascend the bench of the Demerara Assize until almost noon. In that interval, the judge’s chambers was the scene of closed-door meetings with prosecutors and defence counsel, at which certain witnesses were invited, from time to time, for questioning in relation to the alleged confrontation between rival groups, and allegations by others.
About five minutes before the judge arrived on the bench, she was preceded in court by prosecutors Miss Retina Singh and Miss Konyo Sandiford, and veteran lawyer Mr. Compton Richardson for the defence.
Before this, the 12 jurors, some of them with bowed heads, remained in their seats as if tired and taking a nap.
When Justice George arrived, she apologised for the delay, and explained that it was due to certain claims about confrontation and allegations, which according to her had been thoroughly investigated, and some were found to be untrue. She noted that, because of the claims, there would be need for further submissions from counsel on both sides; and a court official has said that her final ruling is not expected before this afternoon.