Another twist in the Bascom cybercrime trial with Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack penning a letter to the Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards asking for City Magistrate Leron Daly to recuse herself from presiding over the matter. This comes on the heels of the developments in the court on Wednesday after State Prosecutor Mandel Moore was placed in the prisoners’ holding cell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court by Magistrate Leron Daly for failing to turn over evidence in the Dion Bascom case.
Moore, who is the Legal Advisor to the Police was called on by the Magistrate to turn over a disk which has a Press Conference hosted by the police force of which Crime Chief Wendel Blanhum was a part of.
Moore informed the court that he would not be handing over the evidence without giving reason. It was then that the Magistrate ordered Moore to be detained in the holding cell. When the matter was again called at 13:00hrs on Wednesday Moore this time said he had no evidence to give after spending 20 minutes in the lockup at the court lockup. However, he was told by the Magistrate that he is to return to Court on Thursday at 11:00hrs with the evidence.
The matter was called today and Magistrate Daly told the court that she had received a letter from the DPP requesting that she rescues herself from the case. She noted that the letter was addressed to the Chancellor. It stated that even though the Magistrate does not have a personal interest in the case, based upon her conduct on Wednesday she should recuse herself.
This development is not sitting well with Bascom’s attorney Nigel Hughes who told the court that he plans to file a constitutional action against the DPP’s letter. Hughes posited that the Chancellor has no jurisdiction to instruct a magistrate to recuse herself from the case.
The attorney further stated that the DPP breached the hierarchy of the Judiciary and also failed to raise proper grounds for the Magistrate to recuse herself. Hughes described the situation as a “frightening” development and “assault” on the rule of law. Further, he believes that his client’s rights to a fair trial was breached. The matter was adjourned to October 18th.
Sergeant Dion Bascom is before the courts facing three charges related to cybercrime.
The Police Sergeant accused two senior officers of attempting to cover up the March 2021 murder of Ricardo Fagundes.
During his first appearance before the court, Bascom denied that he used a computer system to transmit electronic data with the intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress to Superintendents Mitchell Caesar and Chabinauth Singh. Bascom who is represented by Attorney at Law Nigel Hughes was released on $300,000 bail.