Corrupt PNP socialites back in the spotlight

[Don1]

Patrick Roberts' arrest could cause Kern to lose $10-m bail


Friday, April 16, 2010

KERN Spencer, the former junior energy minister on trial stemming from the Cuban light bulb scandal, may have to find a new guarantor for his $10 million bail following Wednesday's arrest of his surety, businessman Patrick Roberts.

Spencer stands to lose his bail when he appears in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today as Roberts' arrest renders him ineligible to continue acting as surety, as he now has a criminal charge pending against him, according to section 21 of the Bail Act.


But Patrick Atkinson, Spencer's attorney, said yesterday that the court may decide not to interfere with his client's bail while he seeks another surety.

"Mr Spencer has been reliably coming to court and the magistrate will take that into consideration," Atkinson told the Observer.

Roberts, 45, the People's National Party caretaker for the West Central St Andrew constituency, was arrested and charged after his licensed .38 Taurus revolver was allegedly recovered from a man who reportedly engaged the police in a shoot-out using the weapon.

The alleged shoot-out occurred on January 20 this year.

Yesterday, Roberts' lawyer, Valerie Neita-Robertson, said he was charged with illegal possession of firearm.

Roberts reportedly told the police in an interview last month that he was not aware of the disappearance of the weapon. He is scheduled to appear in the High Court Division of the Gun Court today.

Roberts, who is a lay magistrate, was granted $300,000 station bail following his arrest, his lawyer said.

Spencer, along with his former personal assistant, Coleen Wright, were arrested in February 2008 for their role in the distribution of four million energy-saving light bulbs, a gift from the Cuban Government that ended up costing Jamaican taxpayers several million dollars.

Both accused are due back in court today when Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey will decide whether or not to throw out the case against them.

[Mosiah]

One wonders if the PNP would be this strident about this if we didn't have the Dudus case in our midst. Anyway, if that case forces us all to straighten up and keep di ting proper, then great!

If only the ruling regime could even appear to be doing the right thing!

[Mosiah]

Roberts reportedly told the police in an interview last month that he was not aware of the disappearance of the weapon.

likely story!

Roberts, who is a lay magistrate, was granted $300,000 station bail following his arrest, his lawyer said.

what is a lay magistrate?

[Don1]

it's all about positioning the party & getting a favorable PR angle

aaahh bwoy

[Don1]

what is a lay magistrate

one dat nah guh lay-lay

[Mosiah]

or one who would lay dung fi anyting?? I dunno!

[ReggaeMike]

what is a lay magistrate?

Here:

http://www.helpwithlawexams.co.uk/laymagistrates.html

Lay Magistrates deal with the vast majority of criminal cases in the English Legal System. All criminal cases start in the Magistrates' Court and around one million cases a year are heard by Magistrates.

They uphold the important principle in our legal system of trial by ones peers. One of the great strengths of the English legal system is the participation of ordinary people in the administration of justice. The other area where this is seen in the criminal justice system is in the Crown Court where juries are used.

Surprisingly research shows that the public has little awareness of the role played by Lay Magistrates in our criminal justice system.

[ReggaeMike]

Really and truly the rot seems to run deep. Hamlet would have probably just given up and killed himself if his Denmark had appeared this rotten.

So we have a lay magistrate whose licensed revolver was apparently recovered from a man who reportedly engaged the police in a shoot-out and who was unaware of the weapon's disappearance. Between lawyers who mistakenly put their signature twice on a document claiming them to be consultants and acting on behalf of the BOJ and magistrates who don't have a clue where there guns are we seem to have a lot of people making silly mistakes.

Any man who has a gun and don't know about its disappearance should never have a gun licence.

[Mosiah]

Then we have a DPP who is about to recuse herself from the trial of the century because she either lied about taking notes or could not remember that she took notes. THE DPP!

where does it all end?!?!

[Gamma]

ah bwoy.....mi granny was so right...."oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to decive"

as mi preach day in day out, "old time people" have a wisdom that is tried true and tested!!!!

[Hortical]

Roberts reportedly told the police in an interview last month that he was not aware of the disappearance of the weapon.

I find that statement hard to believe, and he should be charged with the appropriate offense.

[ReggaeMike]

I find that statement hard to believe, and he should be charged with the appropriate offense.

Maybe he's speaking the truth. Maybe he wasn't aware of the weapon's disappearance because he was sure he knew where the weapon was all along....in the "safe" hands of the man from whom the weapon was recovered or possibly in the hands of someone who associated with that man.

[Mosiah]

if the man can produce a statement on appropriate letterhead, that he was loaned the weapon, then...

[Twan]

if the man can produce a statement on appropriate letterhead, that he was loaned the weapon, then...

afta a nuh cyar im a len out MO!!

[Hortical]

Maybe he's speaking the truth. Maybe he wasn't aware of the weapon's disappearance

Maybe DJ Ricky Trooper had a watergun in that youtube video.