Passport case adjourned yet again

The judicial resolution of the passport scandal will just have to wait a little longer, as one of the two defendants in the high profile case once again failed to appear. Hassan El-Sayed, who is jointly charged with Gabby Affif on ten counts relating to the forgery of passport applications, did not appear for the second consecutive court session. His attorneys explained that he is in Lebanon recovering from injuries suffered there in an automobile accident but will be returning to face trial. D.P.P. Kirk Anderson called for the forfeiture of El-Sayed’s two hundred thousand dollar bail posted by two sureties. But Justice Adolph Lucas–despite being visibly perturbed at the absence–declined to order the bail forfeited because the prosecution was not in fact ready to present its case. Affif, who was in court today, heard an additional six counts read against him for possession of forged official documents. He was not required to enter a plea, however, as the case was adjourned until July twenty-ninth. On that date both defendants–assuming El-Sayed shows up–will enter their pleas, but the actual trial will not begin until September, following the Supreme Court’s traditional August holiday.

During today’s hearing, it was noted that once the case was bound over from Magistrate’s Court to the Supreme Court, only the Supreme Court could vary the terms of El-Sayed’s bail, which required that he not leave the country. His original permission to travel abroad had been granted by Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord.