Sir Timothy Cassel, QC, has been rehired by the State to prosecute UNC Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday for a second time on a charge of failing to declare his London bank account to the Integrity Commission.
The disclosure was made yesterday at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates' Court by State attorney Sabrina Dougdeen when it was called before Magistrate Melvin Daniel. Dougdeen, who held for Cassel and Senior State attorney Sean Rajbansee, told Daniel the prosecution needed some time to liaise with Cassel to arrange for witnesses from abroad to have them prepared so they could be flown to Trinidad to testify in the matter. Panday is facing a retrial on three charges of knowingly failing to declare his Natwest bank account in Wimbledon, London, to the Integrity Commission for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999.
He is being represented by Ravi Rajcoomar and his daughter, Mickela. In March 2006, Panday went on trial before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls and was found guilty on April 24, 2006 and sentenced to two years in prison. Cassel represented the state. Panday appealed the matter and the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and set aside the sentence on the ground of apparent bias by the Chief Magistrate. The Court of Appeal ordered a retrial but Panday challenged this in the Privy Council but the Law Lords ordered Panday to face a second trial.