Gypsy-Chaitan Case Closed

Oct 25, 2001
By Darren Bahaw

JUNIOR MINISTERS Winston “Gypsy” Peters and William Chaitan claimed victory yesterday after the election petitions filed by the People’s National Movement were formally dissolved in the Port of Spain High Court.

The two United National Congress (UNC) parliamentarians, emerging from the Hall of Justice with a throng of supporters, many wearing red UNC jerseys, told reporters that they were once more willing to represent their respective constituencies of Ortoire/Mayaro and Pointe-a-Pierre.

Chaitan said that it was because the PNM were sore losers they filed the petitions seeking to unseat both Peters and himself.

Peters said that he always knew that God was on his side and he would emerge victorious.

Earlier, Justice Melville Baird noted that the petitions filed by defeated PNM candidates for Ortoire/Mayaro and Pointe-a-Pierre Franklin Khan and Farad Khan were abated on the dissolution of Parliament.

He said for completeness and closure the court was making a note on the proceedings.

The judge, sitting in the Port of Spain Sixth Civil Court, also ordered that the $20,000 deposit made by each petitioner be returned.

Douglas Mendes, one of the attorneys for the PNM, told Justice Baird that the effect of Parliament being dissolved on October 13 meant that the petitions were abated.

Fyard Hosein, lead attorney for Peters and Chaitan, agreed, saying that the petitions were now “dead as a doornail”.

The Khans had filed petitions seeking to unseat Peters and Chaitan from sitting in the House of Representatives on the grounds that they falsely declared on their nomination papers that they held no dual-citizenship.

Back / Home

---