CHIEF MAGISTRATE ADJOURNS IRFAAN ALI’S CASE

To facilitate a pending court challenge, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday adjourned that multi-million dollar fraud case involving PPP Member of Parliament Irfan Ali. Javone Vickerie reports.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLeannan explained that because of a current challenge in the High Court filed by the Attorney’s representing the interest of former Minister responsible for housing, Irfan Ali, she was forced to adjourn the matter at the magisterial level to facilitate the ruling expected on Friday.

That challenge was filed on January 2 by Attorneys-at-Law, Senior Counsel Neil Boston, Anil Nandlall and Davendra Kissoon at the High Court, where it is fixed to be heard before Justice Franklin Holder.

The lawyers are contending that the 19 fraud charges filed against their client the ruling plots of land located at Goedverwagting in an area known as Pradoville 2, were all bad in law; thus Ali, while serving in his ministerial capacity acted in accordance with the law when the 19 plots of land the interest.

The Chief Magistrate adjourned the matter to February 6. Ali is accused of defrauding the state of over $174M when he sold state land at an undervalued price. Ali faces 19 indictable charges with unknown persons to sell the plots of land. SOCU’s case is that at the time of sale, the plots of land were valued at $212 million and were sold for GYD$39.8 million