Four months after former Minis-try of the Presidency Permanent Secretary Omar Shariff and his wife, Sabeita Hardeo, were told that they would have to lead their defence against a charge of failing to comply with a court order, they are yet to do so.
On October 30, 2018, Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore overruled a no-case submission made by the defendants’ attorney, Sanjeev Datadin.
Subsequent to that ruling, Datadin, at another court hearing, made additional submissions in the matter, in hopes of further persuading the court to not call upon his clients to lead their defence.
After reconsidering the additional submissions made, Magistrate Azore maintained her original ruling.
The matter, which was called on Friday, saw Shariff being absent and his wife present.
An adjournment was later given in the matter. It is expected to be called again on March 15.
Shariff and his wife, Hardeo, both of Dowding Street, Kitty, are currently on trial on a charge that on or before October 14, 2016, at Georgetown, they failed to comply with a production order issued by then acting Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards.
It is alleged that without reasonable cause, they contravened the order, which was served by a marshal of the High Court in order for them to produce certain named documents, within seven days, to Assistant Commissioner of Police Sydney James, who is the head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). Attorney Patrice Henry is leading the case for SOCU.
