Tweet
Further delay for Cuban light-bulb case
published: Saturday | May 17, 2008
Ceila Morgan, News Editor - Radio
Wright, Spencer and Chin
The fraud case involving former state minister for energy, Kern Spencer, and his two associates, Coleen Wright and Rodney Chin, has again been delayed to facilitate the prosecution.
The three are facing fraud and money-laundering charges in connection with the Cuban light-bulb project, which racked up $276 million in costs.
New date
The case has now been set for mention on June 19 in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.
During yesterday's hearing, defence attorneys raised strong objections to a request by the prosecution for a month to complete its preparation in the case.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, sought to have Resident Magistrate Glenn Brown grant the prosecution a month for remaining documents in the case to be served on the defence.
According to Llewellyn, the police investigators in the case needed more time to complete an aspect of the investigation.
But attorney-at-law Patrick Atkinson, who represents Spencer, said since the arrest of his client on February 25, the prosecution had been given more than six weeks to prepare for the case.
"I submit, Your Honour, that another month is unreasonable," he told the resident magistrate.
An unreasonable request
But the judge noted that Atkinson's request was an unreasonable one as the case was not yet at a stage where objections to a delay would be allowed.
At this point, Valrie Neita-Robertson, who represents Rodney Chin, rose to voice her objections, stating that to allow the prosecution a month to prepare its case would result in a further delay in the trying of the case.
Llewellyn, however, interjected that the matter was a complex one.
This drew the ire of Neita-Robertson, who again rose to her feet and demanded Llewellyn allow her to speak.
At this point, Resident Magistrate Brown ordered both attorneys to sit. June 19 was subsequently agreed on by the lawyers for the prosecution and the defence.
In the meantime, attorney-at-law Howard Hamilton, who represents Colleen Wright, in an interview with The Gleaner Power 106 News, again pleaded with the media and the public to allow both sides of the case to be heard before rushing to judgment.
Spencer and his co-accused had their bail, totalling $25 million, extended until June 19.
ceila.morgan@gleanerjm.com
published: Saturday | May 17, 2008
Ceila Morgan, News Editor - Radio
Wright, Spencer and Chin
The fraud case involving former state minister for energy, Kern Spencer, and his two associates, Coleen Wright and Rodney Chin, has again been delayed to facilitate the prosecution.
The three are facing fraud and money-laundering charges in connection with the Cuban light-bulb project, which racked up $276 million in costs.
New date
The case has now been set for mention on June 19 in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.
During yesterday's hearing, defence attorneys raised strong objections to a request by the prosecution for a month to complete its preparation in the case.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, sought to have Resident Magistrate Glenn Brown grant the prosecution a month for remaining documents in the case to be served on the defence.
According to Llewellyn, the police investigators in the case needed more time to complete an aspect of the investigation.
But attorney-at-law Patrick Atkinson, who represents Spencer, said since the arrest of his client on February 25, the prosecution had been given more than six weeks to prepare for the case.
"I submit, Your Honour, that another month is unreasonable," he told the resident magistrate.
An unreasonable request
But the judge noted that Atkinson's request was an unreasonable one as the case was not yet at a stage where objections to a delay would be allowed.
At this point, Valrie Neita-Robertson, who represents Rodney Chin, rose to voice her objections, stating that to allow the prosecution a month to prepare its case would result in a further delay in the trying of the case.
Llewellyn, however, interjected that the matter was a complex one.
This drew the ire of Neita-Robertson, who again rose to her feet and demanded Llewellyn allow her to speak.
At this point, Resident Magistrate Brown ordered both attorneys to sit. June 19 was subsequently agreed on by the lawyers for the prosecution and the defence.
In the meantime, attorney-at-law Howard Hamilton, who represents Colleen Wright, in an interview with The Gleaner Power 106 News, again pleaded with the media and the public to allow both sides of the case to be heard before rushing to judgment.
Spencer and his co-accused had their bail, totalling $25 million, extended until June 19.
ceila.morgan@gleanerjm.com