PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Two former ministers are among eight persons ordered to stand trial on fraud charges in relation to the Piarco International Airport rehabilitation project.

Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls ruled that former finance minister in the Basdeo Panday administration, Brian Kuei Tung, and Russell Huggins, who served as National Security Minister in a previous Patrick Manning administration, would have to stand trial following the end of the longest fraud inquiry in Trinidad and Tobago's history.

Extradition

The others are businessman Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson, both of whom are fighting extradition to the United States on separate charges arising out of the airport project, John Smith, Amrith Maharaj, Barbara Gomes and Renee Pierre.

Three firms - Northern Construction Limited, Maritime General and Fidelity Finance and Leasing Company - were also ordered to await trial.

"I am satisfied a prima facie case has been made out against each accused," he said, allowing bail in the sum of TT$1 million (US$166,600) each.

The accused had been charged in March 2002 of defrauding the Airport Authority of Trinidad and Tobago of over TT$19.7 million (US$3.2 million) and then splitting the money among themselves.

In ordering the eight to stand trial, McNicolls overruled an application by defence lawyers that he step down from the case, descri-bing the motion as "without merit ... frivolous and vexatious".