Former State Minister Leslie Campbell
By Racquel Porter
Former State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Leslie Campbell, has given an unsworn statement denying allegations that he failed to provide information relating to his statutory declarations.
Mr. Campbell was charged following a recommendation from the Integrity Commission's Director of Corruption Prosecution, Keisha Prince-Kameka.
He's accused of breaching Section 43 1-b of the Integrity Commission Act.
The Integrity Commission says Mr. Campbell filed statutory declarations but did not provide additional information that had been requested.
The Commission said the outstanding information includes the surrender value for two life insurance policies and the account balance linked to a bank loan.
In his unsworn statement on Friday in the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court, the former senator said, by virtue of the office he held, he was obligated to make declarations on an annual basis to the Integrity Commission over the period May 2016 to May 11, 2023, when he resigned.
Mr. Campbell said he complied fully.
He said one of the declarations he was obligated to make is in relation to life insurance policies with Guardian Life and Sagicor.
Mr. Campbell, who is an attorney, said when he was asked about the surrender value of the policies he unequivocally told the commission that there was no surrender value.
He said he answered in that manner because policy insurance is a contract which contains all the terms.
Mr. Campbell said for the purpose of interpretation, one cannot import extraneous material, but must look to the contract to see the contents.
The former senator said none of the policies had investment attached to them.
He said they were plain policies which could only have effect on him reaching the majority age of 85 years or when he died.
Mr. Campbell said it appears to him that the crown witness who had testified had no knowledge, neither did she come into possession of the policies prior to 2021.
In relation to the second charge related to an account balance linked to a bank loan, Mr. Campbell said he had never been the holder of such account.
He said if by chance the prosecution is saying that it appears to be a mistake, he had submitted to the commission an account which was jointly held by him and his sister, with a balance of US$2000.
Mr. Campbell insisted that he submitted all the documents to the Integrity Commisison.
He said he regrets not having the commission sign copies of the documents he had submitted.
He also said he made a declaration in 2016, that he had a loan at Sagicor.
The former senator explained that he acted as a guarantor and when the loan was liquidated he filed no further declaration.
December 12 decision
Senior Parish Court Judge Paula Blake Powell is to hand down a verdict on December 12, after the defence and the prosecution closed their arguments on Friday.
Prior to asking the judge to reject Mr. Campbell's unsworn statement, the prosecutor stated that further information is required within a specified period.
The prosecutor pointed out that one of its witnesses who outlined how correspondents are received from the IC, testified that it is yet to receive a response to the notice.
Zooming in on Mr. Campbell's unsworn statement, the prosecution said the onus was on the former state minister to provide information that he held a joint account with his sister and that his two life insurance policies had no surrender value, whether it exist or not.
The prosecutor also argued that it was Mr. Campbell's legal duty to indicate to the Integrity Commission such fact, if it is indeed the fact.
Noting that the defendant has no duty to prove anything without more, the prosecution argued that Mr. Campbell cannot simply suggest that he submitted information and that it was misplaced.
Prior to Friday's adjournment, Mr. Campbell's attorney, Matthew Hyatt, argued that the information that was submitted to the IC was misplaced.
Mr. Hyatt argued that it cannot be that there is an unfair burden shifting to the accused to provide again that which he had already complied with.
He argued further that Mr. Campbell brought original documents to the commission of what each policy entails, and that it is commission that made the copies.
Mr. Hyatt submitted that his client had been very open and frank with the IC and had no reason not to comply.
But the attorney said Mr. Campbell may not have complied with the time frame of the commission.
Mr. Hyatt said even if the court should find that Mr. Campbell did not adhere to the request as outlined by the charges, at the highest, it should be regarded as a procedural breach and not be looked at as a criminal offence.
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