Lawyer fined for failing to render assistance

Jun 14, 2018 Court Stories, News

Attorney Chandra Sohan

Attorney-at-law and former Magistrate, Chandra Sohan, was found guilty of failing to render assistance to an injured person, with whom he was involved in an accident.
Sohan, whose office is based in Berbice, was convicted and fined for the offence at Albion Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he faced a trial before Magistrate Renita Singh.
According to the charge, on August 4, 2017 on the Williamsburg Corentyne Public road, Sohan drove motor car PJJ 6060, caused an accident and failed to transport the injured person to a nearby medical facility.
He was also charged for failing to report the accident and for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Last August, Sohan was arrested at his home after he reportedly struck a pedestrian while driving along the Williamsburg Public Road.
Reports are that after hitting the individual, Dale Roach, a vagrant known for roaming the streets, the attorney drove off, thus failing to render assistance to the injured man.
The man was subsequently picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. A breathalyzer test that was carried out on Sohan reportedly showed results that his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit.
Yesterday at the Albion Magistrate Court, Magistrate Renita Singh ordered Sohan to pay a $35,000 fine after he was found guilty of failing to render assistance. However, the other charge was reportedly dismissed against Sohan after the victim refused to offer evidence. The parties reportedly came to a settlement.
As it relates to driving under the influence the court upheld a High Court’s ruling, based on arguments presented by Sohan’s lawyers that the devices being used by the Police to conduct breathalyzer tests for alcohol consumption must be calibrated every six months.
The court found that the device used to test Sohan back in August 2017 was not calibrated within six months prior to its use. Last year, Sohan was fined by Magistrate Marissa Mittelholzer for contempt of court. The incident stemmed from the Preliminary Inquiry in the Fayez Narinedatt murder trial. Marcus Bisram is considered the mastermind.
The former Magistrate was also arrested for allegedly attempting to pervert the court of justice in relation to the same matter.

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