The Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd, is today one step closer to bringing a group of contractors, former officials and former housing minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal.

Delivering a judgement yesterday, appellate judges Charmaine Pemberton, Peter Rajkumar, and Vasheist Kokaram, dismissed an appeal from the contractors over the refusal of former high court judge. Along with a current appellate judge James Aboud, to strike out the case against them at a preliminary stage. 

According to law, if a successful final appeal is not mounted by March 20th, the appeal court’s ruling will stand and the case will go to trial, before justice Frank Seepersad. 

In reading the decision, justice Rajkumar ruled that EMBD had properly pleaded, that it suffered actual pecuniary loss, as a result of the alleged unlawful means conspiracy between the contractors and state officials. 

He noted that although EMBD did not quantify the losses it incurred when it filed the case, it could do so when it goes to trial. 

Justice Rajkumar also rejected claims, that EMBD’s pleadings did not properly give particulars linking the contractors to the purported conspiracy, so they could mount their defences. 

The substantive lawsuit centres around 12 contracts, for the rehabilitation of roads and infrastructure granted to five contractors, before the September 2015 general election. 

Contractors TN Ramnauth, Mootilal Ramhit and Sons Contracting Ltd (ramhit), and Kall Company Ltd (kallco). Initiated the proceedings against the state-owned special purpose company, for the sum of almost $200 million balance owed on their respective contracts.