Fraud trial against Ruel Reid and co-accused pushed back to Tuesday

 

The long-awaited multi-million dollar fraud trial of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and his co-accused, originally set to commence Monday in the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court has been pushed back until Tuesday.

 

Senior Parish Court Judge Vaughn Facey was unavailable when the matter was called up. 

 

Mr. Reid, his wife Sharen, their daughter Sharelle, former Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Professor Fritz Pinnock and Jamaica Labour Party councillor Kim Brown Lawrence, have been charged with several offences, including breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law, and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

 

Judge Leighton Morrison, who presided over Monday's proceedings, was told that one of the 97 witnesses might take the stand during the afternoon session.

 

The prosecution asked the media not to report the names of the witnesses.

 

But Mr. Pinnock's attorney Hugh Wildman objected, stating that the matter was not a sexual offence case and that it is an open trial case where any member of the public can attend and listen to the testimony of every witness. 

 

Citing case law, Mr. Wildman argued that no order should be made to block the press from covering the witness and their testimony. 

 

He said there is no basis in the Constitution of Jamaica that allows for the request by the prosecution to be met. 

 

Responding to Mr. Wildman, the prosecutor made it clear that the request was to protect the identity of the witnesses.

 

After listening to both sides, Judge Morrison cautioned the prosecutor that Mr. Wildman's constitutional argument was correct and that he has to be careful in making that determination.

 

The prosecution told the court that "certain things" could not be disclosed in court. 

 

The judge suggested the prosecutor guide him with case law.

 

In the meantime, the prosecutor asked for three of the witnesses to be bound over to return to court on November 17.

 

The accused were charged by the Financial Investigations Division following a probe in nearly $50 million, which was allegedly diverted from the CMU.