Panday must pay DPP $216K in costs

Basdeo Panday is owing the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) $216,358.20 for costs the DPP for the judicial review filed to determine whether Magistrate Ejenny Espinet should have recused herself from hearing a case involving Panday.

Justice Vashiest Kokaram made the payment order Wednesday and also ordered Panday to pay costs to witness Jocelyn McLeod-Smith.

On October 22, the judge ruled that Panday's legal team did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that Espinet was being biased against Panday and ruled that the magistrate could continue to hear a corruption case involving Panday and his wife, Oma.

The Pandays argued that Espinet had close connections to the People's National Movement (PNM) and that she would be biased in determining a case in which it is alleged that the Pandays received $25,000 pound sterling as a bribe from Carlos John and Ishwar Galbaransingh.

Panday went to court seeking judicial review when Espinet refused to step down from hearing the matter.