City Magistrate Leron Daly yesterday exhorted Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) prosecutor Michael Somersall to make a promised disclosure from a forensic audit report so that a decision could be made on proceeding in the fraud matters brought against members of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).
The call was made after attorneys Anil Nandlall and Glenn Hanoman, who are representing Prema Roopnarine, former Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj, agricultural consultant; Jagnarine Singh, former GRDB General Manager and Nigel Dharamlall, a PPP/C MP, voiced their frustration over the situation.
Nandlall, who previously stated that the prosecutor was not adequately disclosing to the defence information relating to the forensic audit report, made an application for the matter to either be dismissed, permanently stayed by the magistrate or that the matter be adjourned, to settle the issue.
He noted that actions will be taken at the High Court as it related to the matter and other matters like it.
The prosecutor urged, however, that the court proceed with the matter until the High Court makes a decision. It was argued that evidence that was presented, which is being relied on by the defence, had very little to do with the forensic report.
However, Hanoman argued that the prosecutor noted that a copy of the forensic report would be disclosed to the defence or what was specific to the case but the prosecutor has failed to do so.
Somersall told the court that the whole document does not concern the case. When asked, however, if he was in possession of the portion that was relevant to the case, which he said he would disclose, he stated no.
“Stop this game,” the magistrate then said in response before urging him to have the report so that the court can decide where to go.
The matter was then adjourned until April 19.
