Justice Navindra Singh has been summoned to appear in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court later this month when he will answer a charge resulting from an altercation he had with a motorist who has since filed private criminal charges.
Stabroek News was told yesterday that Justice Singh received a Summons on Tuesday and is to appear in court on June 22.
The other party Gavwyn Smith has already been charged with dangerous driving following the incident which occurred in April and he is presently before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
In court documents seen by this newspaper, Smith through lawyers Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos and Glenn Hanoman has filed three private charges against the judge.
According to court documents seen by this newspaper, it is being alleged that Justice Singh on April 12, 2016 at Camp Street made use of threatening language, whereby a breach of the peace may have occurred.
The second charge is that on the same day, Justice Singh “willfully excited or attempted to excite hostility” against Smith on the grounds of race, by means of words spoken to him.
The third charge states that the judge caused his motor vehicle to remain in the centre of the western carriageway of Camp Street obstructing the free flow of traffic.
The incident occurred around 16:35 hours.
A copy of the police statement made by Justice Singh was also seen by this newspaper.
It stated that he stopped at the intersection of Camp and Croal Streets since the traffic signal was red.
He said that his vehicle was the first to stop in the middle lane since his intention was to proceed straight along Camp Street.
He said that during this time he observed a grey car which moved from behind him to alongside him. “I became concerned since the vehicle was heavily tinted and therefore I could not see inside the vehicle”, he said adding that when the vehicle stopped besides him the right side window was rolled down and he saw a young man.
He said that he rolled down his window and asked the driver why he was blowing his horn. The response, he said involved foul language.
According to the statement Justice Singh indicated to the driver that he was in the wrong lane and that he could report him and have him locked up. He said that in the continued conversation the other driver continued using foul language in his responses.
Justice Singh said that when the light changed to green he drove straight along Camp Street. He said that he observed the same grey car also proceeding straight along Camp Street behind him. He said that he stopped at the intersection of Camp and Regent Streets as the traffic signal had turned to red. He said that the grey vehicle was still behind him and he leaned out and managed to see the front licence plate number. Subsequently he called and reported the matter to the Brickdam Police Station.
Hanoman in an invited comment said that on June 22, Justice Singh is to be cross-charged.
It was explained that private criminal charges were filed after police seemed uninterested in laying charges against the judge.
“Inspire of the fact that they may have obtained evidence the police had refused to lay charges against the judge so we felt constrained to take private criminal action”, he said.
