GOA GOVERNMENT CHANGES THE APP IN 2004 RIBANDAR CHURCH CASE

PANJIM: The Goa Government has changed the Assistant Public Prosecutor in the 2004 Ribandar Church Case. Assistant Public Prosecutor Mrs. Frances Noronha who was handling the case on behalf of the State has been removed and APP Mrs. Tema Narvekar has been directed to handle the prosecution.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues had in a complaint to the Chief Secretary of Goa Mr. Sanjay Srivastava demanded APP Frances Noronha’s ’s removal for her misconduct in Court.

Adv. Rodrigues had drawn the attention of the Chief Secretary that APP Frances Noronha by the manner of her behaviour in Court was not maintaining the decorum and dignity required from an APP.

Adv. Rodrigues had also stated in his complaint to the Chief Secretary that the conduct of APP Frances Noronha was most shameful and that it amounted to virtually blackmailing the Court. APP Frances Noronha had strongly opposed the issuance of the warrant of arrest against Father Newton Rodrigues.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues has been repeatedly drawing the Court’s attention that in the 2004 Ribandar Church trial Assistant Public Prosecutor Mrs. Frances Noronha was acting as an agent of Father Newton Rodrigues instead of discharging her duties as an APP in accordance with law and placing the correct facts before the Court.

Meanwhile, JMFC Mrs. Sarika Faldessai today heard arguments on the application filed by Father Newton Rodrigues seeking to withdraw the complaint against Adv. Aires Rodrigues.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues today strongly opposed Father Newton Rodrigues’s application stating that Father Newton Rodrigues against whom a warrant of arrest is pending cannot make any application to the Court unless he first surrenders before the Court and gets the warrant pending against him canceled. Adv. Rodrigues has also stated that Father Newton Rodrigues’s application was not maintainable as it was not within the provisions of law.

Judge Sarika Faldessai will pronounce on July 5th her order this application filed by Father Newton Rodrigues. The cross examination of the last prosecution witness Inspector Braz Menezes will also continue on July 5th.