CHIEF Magistrate Emma Garo has yesterday ruled that she has the jurisdiction to hear the curfew related matters.
This was after she rejected all the submissions made by the lawyer of three of the 63 people who were accused of breaching the curfew on April 10.
Garo also refused the defence application to transfer the curfew matters to the High Court.
Therefore, a pre-trial conference will be conducted on the case of the three men who already pleaded not guilty to the curfew related charges on May 14.
Trial dates will be fixed on that date as well.
Another two, a male and a female who earlier pleaded guilty to the curfew charge will be sentenced on May 13.
These five individuals were charged with restriction of movement contrary to section 4 (1) (3) as read with section 12 of the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations 2020.
They were part of the 63 people arrested on the two nights of curfew issued by the Prime Minister on April 10 and 11.
The other 58 who were bailed by the police to appear before the court did came on April 14 but after their charges were not filed to the court on time they were advised to return home.
So far police had located 44 of them and re-bailed them to appear in court.
Some of them will appear in court on May 13 as well for the mention of their case.
Public Solicitor Howard Lawry represented the three men while the Director of Public Prosecutions Rachel Olutimayin is appearing for the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
