Port-of-Spain (Trinidad Express):

MOVES are afoot to suspend Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma from office to make way for a tribunal to investigate him on allegations of misconduct.

Sharma, 64, who is scheduled to officially retire from the top judicial post on January 24, 2008, received news of President George Maxwell Richards' decision to appoint the tribunal on Monday, while in office at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain.

In a terse one-paragraph media statement, President Richards said he appointed the three members of the tribunal on May 18, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

Manning has also written to Sharma, giving him an opportunity to respond to the question of his suspension from office.

The tribunal, comprising Privy Councillor Lord Michael Mustill from the United Kingdom Privy Council, Sir Vincent Floissac, president of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal and former president of the Jamaican Bar Association, Dennis Morrison, will soon make a determination on the procedure of their investigation, the Express was told.

They have the task of investigating whether Sharma should be removed from office and to report back to the president. The state will make all the arrangements to facilitate the hearings and also pay the legal costs to be incurred by Sharma in defending himself.

Sharma offered no comment when contacted on Monday and intends to meet with his team of attorneys today before deciding his next move.

Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls had complained to Manning way back in May 2006, that Sharma had attempted to influence him to find former prime minister Basdeo Panday not guilty on charges of failing to declare a London bank account to the Integrity Commission.

Triggered criminal proceedings

McNicolls' complaint eventually triggered criminal proceedings against Sharma, after the Chief Justice had got an injunction from the High Court blocking the impeachment process.

Sharma withdrew that lawsuit to pave the way for another lawsuit which challenged the criminal proceedings to be heard before the Privy Council.

The criminal charge of attempting to pervert the course of public justice was discontinued on March 5, after McNicolls refused to have his allegation tested under cross-examination and Sharma resumed his duties on March 26.