Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

VAZ

The election petition hearing into the alleged dual citizenship was yesterday adjourned to January 21 after Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz completed his testimony in the Supreme Court.

The hearing was put off because American law expert George Crimarco, who is a member of the Florida Bar, will not be available for further cross-examination until that time.

Mr. Vaz is the respondent in the petition which People's National Party candidate Abe Dabdoub has brought. Dabdoub is contending that, because Mr. Vaz has American citizenship, he is not entitled to be a Member of Parliament as that is in breach of the Constitution of Jamaica.

Go-ahead

Chief Justice Zaila McCalla yesterday gave the go-ahead for the pages in Mr. Vaz's American passport to be photocopied by the court clerk. The Chief Justice said that, once the copies were accepted by the lawyers for the parties, then the copies would be shown to her and Mr. Vaz's passport would be released to him.

Mr. Vaz's lawyer, Ransford Braham, in applying for the passport to be returned, said whenever the court needed it, it would be made available.

Attorney-at-law, Gayle Nelson, who is representing Dabdoub, had at first opposed the application on the basis that Mr. Vaz had a Jamaican passport, and could use it to travel.

When the hearing resumed yesterday, Mr. Nelson reminded Mr. Vaz of the immigration form he signed in October last year when he arrived in Jamaica. Mr. Vaz agreed that it was written on the form that he was to leave the island on January 9 and was not to work in the island.

Questioned as to whether he got a waiver to remain in the island, Mr. Vaz said he did not need one and did not intend to leave the country.

On being re-examined by his lawyer, Mr. Vaz said when he said he did not intend to leave, he meant he was a Jamaican by birth and the place of his birth was clearly stated in his passport.

"I reside in Jamaica, calling it home, and as such I am free to come and go as I please without any restriction," Mr. Vaz stressed.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com