Supreme Court registrar, Sita Ramlal, has had the nisi orders obtained by eight prisoners seeking to have trials held in the order persons are charged, dismissed against her.

Supreme Court registrar, Sita Ramlal

The court yesterday discharged the orders against Ramlal after it was indicated by her lawyer, Sase Narine, that each of the applicants' depositions had been prepared and filed and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Attorneys Priya Manickchand and Glen Hanoman last month filed a constitutional motion on which they had sought and obtained orders compelling Ramlal to prepare the inmates' depositions and directing the DPP to show cause why her decision to present the indictments of treason-accused Mark Benschop, Gladstone George and Leslie Tappin, et al, should not be quashed.

But Narine said the applicants' depositions had been processed by the registrar as follows: Seetal Sookdeo, who was recently set free from the Georgetown Prisons after the DPP entered a nolle prosequi in the proceedings against him, (16.07.02); Kenneth Richardson (12.02.03), Michael Joe (18.09.02), Phillip Cordis (23.05.02), Ivor Gavin Roberts (10.09.02), Omesh Persaud (21.03.02), Vibert Layne (21.11.02) and Paul John (09.10.03).

According to Manickchand, however, the DPP had not issued any formal notification of receipt of the applicants' depositions with the exception of Joe and Sookdeo.

Thereafter, one of Benschop's attorneys, Benjamin Gibson contended that in light of this development, the order against his client ought to be discharged and compensation paid to him (Benschop) by the applicants.

Justice Jainarayan Singh Jnr suggested that Gibson take the necessary course of action, legally, should he wish to proceed as expressed.

Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned to November 28 since the DPP is yet to file an affidavit in answer to the motion filed by the prisoners' lawyers