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Representing himself, Okanagan inmate delays trial

Afshin Maleki Ighani trial adjourned until Nov. 21
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Sheriffs escort Afshin Maleki Ighani into Penticton court. (Black Press Media files)

The trial of Afshin Maleki Ighani continues to be plagued by delays.

Maleki Ighani is charged with a string of offences related to armed kidnapping on April 22, 2017.

READ MORE: Okanagan inmate charged in Princeton kidnapping gets trial extension

The Supreme Court trial returned to a Penticton court on Nov.20, but Ighani, who is representing himself, said he was unable to make a submission on whether he would cross-examine a witness because he was couldn’t operate court discs with recordings from previous dates of the trial on the computer given to him in prison since his last court date in October.

To move forward with the trial, Judge Nitya Iyer had the recording played in court and ruled the Crown’s case finished.

“Had Mr. Ighani expressed concern with respect to the completeness of the cross-examination of Ms. Walker, he had full opportunity to do so prior to his termination of (his lawyer),” she explained. “On that basis, I conclude that the Crown’s case finished. There is no need to recall Ms. Walker. At this point in the trial, it is up to the defence to decide whether he’s going to call evidence in this case.”

READ MORE: Ighani trial on hold until 2019

In response, Ighani requested the trial be adjourned because he said he still has not heard the content of the recordings for him to determine whether he could call evidence in his case.

Judge Iyer adjourned the trial until Thursday morning to give Ighani another chance to listen to the recordings.

“You will have had that amount of time, in addition to all the time you’ve been provided today, to determine what, if any, defence evidence you are doing to call,” she said.

Ighani is accused of forcing Jodie Walker and Christopher William Gliege to drive him from Okanagan Falls to the Lower Mainland. The Crown alleges he forced Gliege out of the vehicle by gunpoint on a road near Princeton and fired the gun over his head.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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