Acting Police Commissioner (CoP) Stephen Williams caused heads to turn at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court yesterday, when he turned up as the complainant in the matter against former junior National Security Minister Collin Partap.Williams also shocked Partap's battery of high-profile attorneys, led by Israel Khan, SC, when it was revealed that he was the complainant.
A senior officer who attended yesterday's hearing before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Eighth Court, said he had never before witnessed, in his 35 years of service, a CoP bringing a charge against anyone.
Partap, who was fired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar five months ago, pleaded not guilty to the charge that on August 26, 2012, at the corner of Keate and Frederick Streets, Port-of-Spain, he being the driver of vehicle PCM 1016 and without reasonable excuse, failed to provide a breath specimen to a police constable when requested.
Partap, who lives at George Village, Tableland, was fired on August 26, hours after he was stopped by police on leaving the Zen nightclub.Arriving at the courthouse five minutes after Williams' arrival at 9 am yesterday, Partap, an attorney himself, walked in accompanied by Larry Lalla, Wayne Sturge, Ravi Rajcoomar and Jagdeo Singh, with Khan arriving minutes later.
Clad in a grey suit, the smiling Partap walked past the benches in the public gallery and sat at the bar table conversing with his attorneys until his matter was called at 9.19 am.Standing in the prisoner dock, Partap continued to smile as he entered his not-guilty plea in a clear and audible tone.Partap's matter, the first to be called, saw Supt Kenneth Cordner being specially assigned to represent the prosecution.
Murmurs came from the public gallery after Cordner told Ayers-Caesar the complainant was present along with six other prosecution witnesses.Cordner listed the witnesses as Insp Brandon John, Cpl Boyce, PCs Cooper and Omardath, and WPCs Daniel and Baptiste.
Requesting an adjournment because the prosecution intended to forward the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard so that a state attorney could be appointed, Cordner promised that they would be ready to proceed on the next occasion.The magistrate later adjourned the matter to March 7.