Former Minister of Housing and presidential hopeful of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Mohamed Irfaan Ali has lost a challenge to the validity of 19 fraud charges levelled against him over the sale of land in the ‘Pradoville 2’ Housing Scheme, resulting in him now having to go to trial.
The decision paving the way for Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to proceed with hearing the charges against Ali was handed down yesterday afternoon by High Court Judge Franklyn Holder, who, among other things, declared that Ali does not have a constitutional right not to be charged.
After being slapped with the charges last year, Ali was granted a stay of the proceedings in the lower court, pending the full hearing and determination of his action, which he filed in the High Court to challenge the validity of the charges.
