Lavlin case: Court flays delay in executing warrant against Klaus Triendl

The CBI special court here on Friday said that the CBI report filed by the prosecution regarding the progress in executing the arrest warrant against former vice-president of Canadian company SNC Lavalin, Klaus Triendl, lacked clarity and criticised the delay in executing the warrant against him. The CBI Judge T S P Moosath said that the delay in executing the warrant had resulted in the indefinite delay in the trial of the case.

M K Damodaran, the counsel of Pinarayi Vijayan, argued that the CBI was deliberately delaying the trial. He argued that the accused deserved a speedy trial, which was his fundamental right. The judge said that the court would pronounce the verdict on the petition filed by Pinarayi Vijayan to conduct a separate trial for the accused in the SNC Lavalin case on August 16.

Vijayan had earlier filed a petition seeking conduct of separate trial in the case, which was being delayed owing to the absence of Triendl. The court will also consider the discharge petition filed by the fifth accused, Siddhartha Menon, and the two other petitions seeking further investigation into the case after August 16.

The prosecution stated that talks with Canadian Government on extradition of Klaus Triendl is progressing and sought more time to execute the warrant.