After ten days of cross-examination, state prosecutor George Busby ended questioning of soca star Machel Montano yesterday. During questioning before Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gaffor in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court, Montano was asked about his ability to handle unruly fans, his choice of exit from the Club Zen on the night and his involvement in a confrontation with the group of fans that led to the charges. Montano is charged with assaulting Brandis Browne, Russell Pollonais, Gerard Bowrin and Janelle Lee Chee outside the Port-of-Spain club on April 27, 2007, and using obscene language. During yesterday’s session, Busby put to Montano that he was part of the altercation outside the club and only decided to leave, after Lee Chee shouted, “record this, take a picture.”
Montano continuously maintained his position that he was not involved in the incident and avoided confrontation with the group of fans throughout the night of the incident. Montano’s attorney Dana Seetahal, then began a short re-examination where she asked Montano about his police statement, which he gave a week after the incident allegedly occurred. Throughout Montano’s cross-examination, Busby attempted to ask Montano to read from the statement in an attempt to show inconsistencies in his evidence, but was unsuccessful because of legal arguments from Seetahal and defence attorney Larry Williams, who opposed this.
Montano said: “I went to the station a day after the incident and waited for two hours but the police said they could take it at that time.” “I had to perform in Barbados for the Cricket World Cup final, so I gave the statement when I returned,” he added. Montano previously admitted while being questioned that he had legal advice before submitting the statement. Entertainers Kernal Roberts, Joel “Zan” Feveck and Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc are charged alongside Montano, with assault offences against members of the group. The matter is expected to continue on May 3.
Trinidad Guardian
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May 1, 2011 at 5:02 am
Four Years and no justice for the poor!!
How can we believe Trinidad and Tobago to be a just society, when it seems that celebrities and bigshots who commit crime are exempt from serving time?
OJ Simpson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Louis Armstrong, Lil Wayne, Lil’ Kim, Mike Tyson, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Martha Stewart, Notorious B.I.G., Foxy Brown , Bobby Brown, James Brown, Orlando Brown, Marcus Camby, Charlie Sheen, 50 Cent, Tupac Shakur, Mike Tyson, …. are celebrities who all served or are serving their times for their crimes.
This list goes to show that in a just society, if celebrities, even though they’re rich and famous, do not live above the law, like anybody else who breaks it, they can and will end up in jail.
Is a Soca Hero above the law?
Justice delayed is justice denied.
IT IS TIME TO END THE MOCKERY OF JUSTICE, PEACE, AND ORDER THAT HAS EXISTED FOR TOO LONG!!
December 27, 2011 at 12:38 pm
[...] is not the only one for which LeBlanc is before the court. He is also charged alongside soca star Machel Montano, son of the late Lord Kitchener Kernel Roberts and Joel “Zan” Feveck in another assault [...]
March 27, 2012 at 4:00 pm
[...] What ever happened to that Zen assault case? [...]