Magistrate Chandra Sohan was unable to have a witness sworn at the Fort Wellington (FW) Magistrate’s Court yesterday, since the witness box is broken. The magistrate has adjourned the matter to Monday at the Blairmont Court.

He told the prosecutor that he refused to deal with any other indictable matter at the FW court and asked him to send a message to the Registrar. Stabroek News learnt that the court’s dock is also broken.

Residents of West Berbice are wondering why the new FW court is not opened as yet even though it was completed since last year. They complained that “nobody is telling us what is going on with the new court.”

For several years now the court is being housed temporarily at the old Region Five boardroom but according to residents that building, which does not even have a magistrate’s chamber, is falling apart.

Meanwhile West Berbice is without a permanent magistrate to work at the three courts at FW, Weldaad and Blairmont, since Kim Kyte-John tendered her resignation earlier this year. In the meantime Magistrates Chandra Sohan and Krishendat Persaud are assigned to work there until a new magistrate is appointed.