Former House Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert
By Racquel Porter
Former House Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, who was summoned to court regarding allegations that she made a false statement in her statutory declarations, had her case rescheduled to October 11.
Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert was bound over when she appeared in the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court on Friday.
When the matter was called up, one of her attorneys, King's Counsel Peter Champagnie, was prepared to make submissions on two preliminary points before consideration on whether or not the matter would proceed to trial.
But the judge who presided over the previous hearing was unavailable.
Mr. Champagnie asked Senior Parish Court Judge Chester Crooks if he was prepared to hear the submissions, but the judge told the attorney it would be practical to await the return of the presiding judge.
Meanwhile, Mr. Champagnie informed Judge Crooks that his team had complied with the court's order to serve the Integrity Commission with a bundle of authorities and submissions on or before September 20.
The defence received a copy of the Commission's response on Friday morning.
Notwithstanding the late response, Mr. Champagnie said, having perused it, his team would have been able to proceed if the judge was in a position to hear their submission.
Last September, the Integrity Commission's Director of Corruption Prosecution ruled that Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert, who was also the Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern, be charged in connection with allegations that she made a false statement in her statutory declarations filed over the period 2015 to 2017.
The Director of Corruption Prosecution had also ruled that she be charged for a similar offence in relation to her declarations filed over the period 2018 to 2020.
The Integrity Commission's Investigation Report into the Statutory Declarations filed by Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert allege that she failed to disclose a Mercedes Benz GLA 250 motor vehicle, of which she was the legal owner.
According to the report, the Director of Information and Complaints, by way of a letter dated February 14, 2022, requested further particulars in respect of the vehicle in question.
In a response letter dated March 29, 2022, Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert indicated that she does not own a 2015 Mercedes Benz GLA 250.
But the commission said the evidence obtained from Tax Administration Jamaica, Ministry of Finance, Jamaica Customs, and Sagicor Jamaica Limited, confirmed that the vehicle in question was acquired and registered in Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert's name from 2015 until its divestment in May 2022.
After the report was made public in September last year, Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert resigned as House Speaker and Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern.
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