Frustration is high in the Deelchand camp as the notary could not give his statement to the ADSU yesterday as it was thought he would. Siddartha Hawoldar, defending the notary spoke on behalf of the team of counsels: ?We are disappointed because we have made it clear that we are at the disposal of the ADSU and it seems they are too busy to take his statement.? Antoine Chetty?s allegations are now thought to be over, at least as far as notary Deelchand is concerned, even if there are reasons to believe that there is more to come.

Deelchand is still waiting to be confronted with his former employee?s allegations. This confrontation may or may not take place this week, depending on the availability of the investigators. Those include allegations of murder, attempted murder and arson. Investigators have however said everything will be done to speed up interrogations. As far as the drug trafficking allegations are concerned, the notary has already been charged.

Another issue that Deelchand?s team of counsels will be objecting to is the prosecution?s request that the notary swears an affidavit to declare his assets. ?A waste of time as my client?s assets have already been frozen,? says barrister Hawoldar. Deelchand will also be questioned on a letter from Mahmood Soobratty, jail mate of deceased Parvez Damree regarding the latter?s murder. Some elements of information provided by Chetty have already been verified by the ADSU. There is also a possibility that former Police commissioner Raj Dayal might be questioned on this matter that took place in 1995.

The other suspect in the ?notary connection?, Sandip Appadoo, is currently under observation at Jeetoo Hospital. He should be in court tomorrow. Mr Appadoo is provisionally accused of giving instructions to set fire to the car of one Anwar Toorabally in August 2002 and of attempted murder on one of Deelchand?s former business partners, Feizal Buglah. The director of Agnis Properties started his statement last Saturday together with Dharmanaden Sambon and Mahendra Choonea, co-directors of the estate agency.

Moonsamy Mooraghen will also be questioned this week concerning allegations of attempted murder on Phillipe Calou in January 2002.

Ashok Buspoteea, considered as a witness in the notary connection will be questioned a second time. In his previous questioning, Deelchand?s business partner denied having witnessed Dev Hurnam giving instructions to Chetty to murder Chief Inspector Hemandass Goorah.

The latest development in the case concerns three police officers, one of them retired, who are believed to have been notary Deelchand?s accomplices. It is not yet known when they will be called in for questioning.

Moreover, last week ended with the news of barrister MP Dev Hurnam?s bailing out and subsequent stay of execution as the DPP appealed against the magistrate?s ruling. A move that has fuelled more debate on the role and powers of the DPP and the way they are exercised.

?If this is not persecution, then you tell me what it is.? was Dev Hurnam?s first public reaction to the court ruling concerning his bail motion to the journalists present in court last Friday. Clearly, the barrister MP?s feelings of being persecuted remain. He was granted bail against a payment of Rs 50,000 and a debt cognizance of Rs 100,000.

Minutes after his supporters? outbursts of joy and relief, the State Law Office representative submitted a motion for the ?stay of execution? of the ruling pending an appeal in the Supreme Court. Magistrate Aujayeb agreed to suspend his ruling, set a date to debate the motion and remanded the barrister to police cell. Dismay, shock, disbelief, surprise and anger wer a few of the supporters? reactions. Dev Hurnam himself was clearly angry as he was taken back to hospital.

The DPP?s motion will be heard next Thursday. It is worth noting that the magistrate?s reasons for justifying the bail granted to Dev Hurnam were that, even though the three reasons put forward by the police were sound, the court felt that they might have been slightly exaggerated. Nevertheless, the prerogatives of the DPP being what they are, his motives will remain a mystery to the general public?

Meanwhile, Dev Hurnam continues to be under observation at the Cardiac Centre of Pamplemousses. Following his return to the hospital last Friday, Mr Hurnam underwent an angiography followed by an angioplasty the next day. While in hospital, the MP under suspicion sent a press release to rebut the allegations of Antoine Chetty. Dev Hurnam denies the allegations, supporting the denials with proof of travel on the dates he was meant to have met Chetty.

The controversial lawyer has also managed to take a lot of people aback with a simple sentence, sent from the confines of his hospital bed: ?I have nothing to do with these Sheik Hossen type allegations.? The Sheik Hossen affair broke out in Jnauary 1978. The opposition leader, Paul Bérenger, basing himself on the story of the ?witness? Sheik Hossen, accuses the State Security Service of having set fire to Le Mauricien newspaper. This was never proved and the testimony considered ?pure invention?. Does Hurnam imply that Antoine Chetty could be another Sheik Hossen? Only time will tell what he meant, unless he beats time to it and obliges before?

The latest development concerns three police officers, one of them retired, who are believed to have been notary Deelchand?s accomplices.