Former banker Melanie Tapper has lost her appeal against her conviction, before the UK based Privy Council.
Tapper, who was former manager at the now defunct CIBC and the Trafalgar Commercial Bank was accused of defrauding Kingston businessman Bentley Rose of millions of dollars.
The case shot to prominence in the mid 1990's pitting the prominent banker against a savvy but illiterate businessman.
The prosecution led evidence that Mr. Rose relied on people he trusted for matters requiring literacy, but he was highly skilled in matters of a monetary nature.
At the end of the trial, which lasted several years Tapper and co- accused Winston McKenzie were found guilty and she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
However, she appealed her conviction to the Jamaica Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal, but she was granted leave to appeal to the Privy Council on the grounds of inordinate delay in breach of her constitutional right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time.
The Appeal Court also reduced the sentence of 18 months imprisonment with hard labour, to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months.
In her appeal to the Privy Council, Tapper made no challenge to the substantive basis of her conviction, but based her appeal on the appropriate remedy for the breach of constitutional right.
After considering the case, including the delays in the trial and appeal process as well as other precedent setting cases, the Board of the Privy Council dismissed Tapper's appeal against conviction.
The judgement means she could escape prison time given the suspended sentence from the local court of appeal.
However the conviction against her name stands, meaning the former banker will be unable to work in the financial sector.