A High Court Judge has agreed to set aside a $20 million default judgment awarded to nine men formerly accused of the kidnapping and murder of businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman.
In a decision delivered this morning, Justice Joan Charles upheld an application from the Office of the Attorney General to set aside the default judgment, which was granted by her in January 2021, and the subsequent assessment of damages for the men that was completed in January, this year.
The outcome was announced by the Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, in a press release issued a short while ago.
He noted that Justice Charles ruled that his office had not been properly served with the substantive case which was filed in May 2020.
“As a consequence, all subsequent proceedings, including the award of damages, have been set aside,” he said.
The decision means that the case will now have to go to trial before Justice Charles.
Speaking to media personnel after initiating an investigation into the case in early February, Armour claimed that preliminary investigations revealed that the case file “disappeared” after being served on his ministry.
Armour said, “I would not allow myself at this time, because of due process, to utter what I think occurred but it is sinister.”
After the investigation team of retired Judge Stanley John and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pamela Schullera-Hinds commenced their probe, the file was reportedly “returned” to the Solicitor General’s Office and handed over.