Keith Clarke
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By Racquel Porter
Britney Clarke, daughter of slain businessman Keith Clarke, on Tuesday morning accused the defence of fabricating a story in exchange for millions of dollars from the Jamaica Defence Force.
Ms. Clarke was continuing her testimony at the trial of the three Jamaica Defence Force soldiers accused of killing her father in a 2010 operation at their home in St. Andrew.
During Tuesday's proceedings, defence attorney Linton Gordon, who is representing Private Arnold Henry, suggested to Ms. Clarke that she never knew who was at her home and that she told the court what she believed and hoped they would accept.
Ms. Clarke retorted: "No, what you're doing is fabricating a story that the army had paid you millions of dollars to speak on. That's what you're doing."
She added: "I know my home, and my home was closed just as how people know who is in their home."
Pressing further, Mr. Linton asked the witness who was in her basement at her home now.
Ms. Clarke said, "No one."
Mr. Linton asked: "You're telling the court that you have powers of knowledge that you know what is there now?"
Ms. Clarke said, "I know."
Grilling the witness further, Mr. Linton suggested that nowhere in her statement did Ms. Clarke say that she looked down the basement that night.
She agreed.
Mr. Linton suggested further that Ms. Clarke was making up a story to protect her father's reputation.
She responded: "No, sir. I'm not doing that. That is not true.'
Ms. Clarke also rejected the suggestion that she was not in a position to say that she knew no one was in the basement.
In response to Mr. Linton's suggestion that she has not been truthful, Ms. Clarke stated, "I have been very truthful to this honourable court. You're the one fabricating stories along with your colleagues."
Before wrapping up the cross-examination, Mr. Linton suggested that Ms. Clarke's evidence that her father was climbing down from the cupboard backward when he was shot, is a lie.
Dismissing the suggestion, Ms. Clarke said, "In my statement given just after the incident, I indicated that that is what occurred not knowing that this country or army would go to the lengths of covering up something."
The trial continues on Thursday.
Lance Corporal Greg Tingling, Corporal Odel Buckley and Private Henry are on trial for the 2010 murder of the accountant.
Mr. Clarke was killed at his Kirkland Heights home during a police/military operation to apprehend drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
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