Local Government Minis-ter Ganga Persaud’s lawyers have been given an extra seven days to file an answer showing cause why his decision to appoint Carol Sooba as Town Clerk should not be quashed.
Chief Justice Ian Chang yesterday rejected Persaud’s lawyers’ application for a further two weeks to file an answer, instead granting only seven days. The application was made by attorney Adrian Smith, who appeared for Persaud in association with Sadie Amin and Keisha Chase. Nigel Hughes, representing City Council Public Relations Officer Royston King, who had moved to the court to challenge the controversial appointment of Sooba, questioned why the minister’s lawyers requested additional time to file their answer but was given no answer.
Chase, also in association with Roysdale Forde, who represented Sooba, noted that her client had received a copy of the proceedings and therefore there was no need to make her aware of it. Prior to her appearance in the courtroom, the court was discussing whether to pass the proceedings to Sooba in her personal capacity or in a public capacity.
Last month King, who was one of the four applicants for the post, applied to the court through his lawyer for an order directed against Persaud to show cause why his decision to appoint Sooba should not be quashed.
King’s move came after Sooba was selected after an interview panel set up by the Ministry that had found her to be the least qualified applicant for the job. He had charged that the decision was an abuse of power because Persaud had failed to apply the conditions he had originally requested when advertising for a Town Clerk, noting the contradiction of Sooba’s selection after the panel had considered her the least qualified among the other applicants-himself, Paul Clark and Darren Khan.
Persaud has publicly stated that Sooba was the best qualified person for the post and therefore she was selected, despite the fact that the interviewing panel had recommended Clark as the best suited candidate. This, however, was rejected by the Minister who stated that Clark was not appointed because he had failed to disclose that he was dismissed from a previous job.
In King’s supporting affidavit, he stated that after attending several interviews, he was informed that he was identified as the candidate who achieved the second highest points for the said position, while Sooba had achieved the lowest points. “…I had a legitimate expectation that the person who was best qualified based on the criteria deployed by the interviewing panel and the Minister of Local Government, would be appointed to the position,” he noted.
The proceedings are expected to continue on January 29.
