Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne will have to wait a further two months for his trial to begin. State attorney George Busby yesterday admitted he was not ready to proceed when the matter was called. The case will resume on February 27. Standing before the Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Court yesterday, Busby said professional demands had left him unable to proceed, so he requested a short adjournment.
Alleyne is facing three charges under Section 32 (2) of the Sexual Offences Act, which makes it an offence to reveal the identity of a rape victim during a broadcast. The charges stem from a video of the rape of a 13-year-old girl which was allegedly aired three times on television station TV6 in October 2011. Alleyne also faces an additional charge of resisting arresting officer ASP Ajith Persad in the execution of his duties.
Also charged alongside Alleyne are executives of the Caribbean Communications Network (CCN), the parent company of TV6, which airs Alleyne's nightly Crime Watch programme. CCN faces three similar charges, as well as six charges under the Telecommunications Act for alleged breaches of its licence and concession, which was issued by the Telecommunications Authority of T&T (TATT).
While Alleyne was present in court yesterday, CCN continues to be represented in the matter through attorneys Sophia Chote, SC, Michelle Solomon-Baksh and Trevor Clarke. Busby told the court the prosecution had 22 witnesses and had now opted to file statements.
Expressing surprise, Chote said CCN had not been informed that Busby would now be filing statements and offered a date in February as a possible alternative. Busby indicated that he had no problem with the date while Alleyne's legal team, led by Om Lalla and including Derrick Balliram, also agreed.