The Court therefore rules that the question of the applicant cannot
be allowed
Bhadain sera désormais défendu par Mes Antoine Domingue SC et
Yash Bhadain…
La question de Roshi Bhadain à l'Assistant Surintendant de Police (ASP),
Hayman Dass Ghoora ayant trait à la crédibilité de Joseph Kinsley Perrine n'est
pas autorisée. Telle est la décision de la magistrate Bibi Aznah Bholah ce matin.
C'était dans le sillage des débats, entourant la motion de radiation de
l'accusation provisoire pesant sur Roshi Bhadain, au tribunal de Port-Louis.
La question de Roshi Bhadain était liée aux diverses versions que le dénommé
Joseph Kinsley Perrine a donné à la police. La poursuite avait objecté à ce qu'il
pose cette question.

Dans son ruling, la magistrate explique : «  it is therefore clear that in the case
at hand, which is a preliminary stage, the applicant is trying to gauge the
weight of the  evidence of the witness, Mr Perrine by asking the enquiring
officer, who is a witness  deponing on behalf of the respondent, his personal
point of view on whether Mr Perrine  is a truthful witness. Accordingly, I am
of the view that the applicant is trying to identify a potential weakness in the
evidence of a witness which pertains to the credibility of the said witness. I
therefore agree with the submissions of the learned counsel for
the respondent, the more so that it is a well-established principle that the
assessment of the credibility of a witness is matter of sovereign appreciation
of the trial court.

In light of the above authorities I am of the view that any potential weaknesses
in the evidence of a witness that pertains to the credibility of the witness are
matters which ought to be thrashed out at the trial stage when the witness
will give evidence and his testimony can be appropriately assessed and
weighed to assist the trial court in determination the guilt against the accused
party. It is not the duty of this Court to go on the merits and to identify the
weaknesses in the evidence of a witness and thereby to assess his credibility.
The Court therefore rules that that the question of the applicant cannot be
allowed. »

D'autre part, le leader du Reform Party sera désormais représenté par les avocats
Me Antoine Domingue, Senior Counsel, et Me Yash Bhadain. L'affaire sera
appelée le 21 janvier 2022 pour que la poursuite fasse part de sa position. Cela,
après que Roshi Bhadain lui ait communiqué des documents concernant cette
affaire. Il a mis en cause un homme d’affaires qui aurait, selon lui, monté un
complot contre lui.