While attorney calls it a travesty of justice

As mentioned earlier, all eyes were on the case against Minister King and it came as no shock that he would be politically unscathed from the incident. Another attorney felt compelled to weigh his thoughts on the case. Arthur Saldivar told News Five that the whole ordeal stinks of collusion. He says that it is a travesty of justice.

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney

“Obviously it was a travesty at justice. Certainly the magistrate had no choice and the matter had to be dismissed on the basis that the witness withdrew his testimony…but the whole thing strikes at collusion.  It is not unusual that in a case at the magistrate court or even at the supreme court where prosecution does not have the witnesses that they require for an adjournment to be sought. In this case that could have been done. The prosecutor in that case in Corozal would have known in advance that the police was not cooperating.

Arthur Saldivar

He could have communicated to his superiors—either the commissioner of police or the D.P.P., who is ultimately the person responsible for all criminal prosecutions in the country—and he could have indicated to them that he had this particular problem with this witness. Once he communicated that to them, they could have taken the action that this man would be subpoenaed especially considering that he is an officer in the police department; they’d know where to find him. And since he had given a statement already, they could have applied to treat the man as a hostile witness and have his statement introduced on that basis. But to just go there to the court and say well the witness no longer wants to proceed with the matter, it stinks. It hints again collusion. This is not something that we should accept as valid reason for justice not to be served in our country. We expect more, we expect better.”