"A strategy without any merit" - that is how Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh this evening described the Novelo families' attempt to disrupt the Development Finance Corporation's Commission of Inquiry.
As we reported last week, the Novelo brothers filed a motion in the Supreme Court asking for an injunction against the DFC Commission because it's term had expired. But more importantly they wanted the court to remove Mark Hulse as the forensic auditor because he had once been contracted by the bus company's receiver.
And so the stage was set for a dramatic showdown this morning between the Novelo's family attorney Hubert Elrington and senior counsel Lois Young for one DFC commission member and Magali Marin-Young for Mark Hulse.
But after two adjournments this morning - the case prematurely ended at 1:30 when an angry Chief Justice Conteh struck out the matter because Elrington failed to show up when the case resumed at 1 pm. Elrington eventually did show up and things were smoothed out.
Elrington's arguments were that Mark Hulse was biased; the commission's term had expired; and the commission's work is a breach in the confidentiality of his clients. If all that fails - he asked the court for a temporary injunction barring Hulse from investigating transactions involving Novelo Bus Company's $30 million loan.
But not even that worked, after hearing arguments that went until late this evening - the Chief Justice ruled that Elrington failed to establish any bias between Mark Hulse and the DFC Commission of Inquiry. He also ruled that the strategy had no merit and he dismissed the application.
We should note that both DFC commission members Merlene Bailey-Martinez and Herbert Lord sat through the day's proceedings. Mark Hulse was also present the entire day. None of the Novelo's brothers were in the courtroom.
Commission co-chair Merlene Bailey-Martinez told us that the commission members have to meet to decide when they'll resume hearings.
