High Court Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh presided at the judicial review application made by both men in which they challenged Attorney General Anand Ramlogan’s decision to sign their extradition warrants on October 9, last year.
Boodoosingh declared that it would be "unjust, oppressive and unlawful" to order the extradition of Galbaransingh and Ferguson.
“The extradition is debarred by the operation of Section 16 (3) of the Extradition Act,” the judge said, adding that Trinidad and Tobago is the appropriate forum to try the men in relation to contracts for construction of the Piarco airport terminal.
The judge also ordered the state to pay the businessmen’s hefty legal costs, which included fees for two British Queen’s Counsel, a Senior Counsel and several senior attorneys.
The men were wanted in Florida on a 95-count indictment, stemming from alleged misconduct in the construction of the $1.6 billion Piarco International Airport terminal.
They also face local charges of bid-rigging and conspiracy to defraud the Trinidad & Tobago Government. Some of the charges were dropped when the US made the extradition request.
Boodoosingh suggested that the DPP might consider pursuing the charges which were previously discontinued.
The judge also relaxed the bail conditions for the two men, who were required to report twice a week to the police.
Galbaransingh and Ferguson spent nearly 10 months at the Maximum Security Prison in Golden Grove, Arouca. The same judge granted them bail in March.
The judge granted a 28-day stay of execution in the matter to allow the office of the Attorney General enough time to consider whether to appeal the decision.
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