Former Education Minister Ruel Reid and former CMU president Professor Fritz Pinnock - file photo
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A report from Racquel Porter
Senior Parish Court Judge Sanchia Burrell has dismissed yet another attempt by defence attorneys to halt the fraud trial of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and his co-accused.
The defence argued that a procedural error involving the number one information, a document used to formally charge defendants, rendered the trial invalid.
Last week, prosecutors corrected the court record, referencing a number one information ending in '1-1'.
Defence attorney Hugh Wildman claimed this mistake made the trial a nullity, a position supported by colleagues Carolyn Chuck, Linda Wright, Shannon Clarke and Oswest Senior-Smith, who represents the JLP Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence.
Judge Burrell, however, ruled that while the prosecution could have been more precise in drafting the indictment order, the missing information for 14 of the charges did not invalidate the case.
She emphasized that the indictment itself governs the proceedings, not the number one information or the indictment order.
In addition, Judge Burrell overruled defence objections regarding evidence.
Mr. Wildman had argued that a Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) detective sergeant's testimony, mentioning invoices shown to Mr. Reid's now-deceased driver, breached the hearsay rule.
The judge said the testimony was limited to confirming the driver's death and that the invoices were not admitted into evidence.
The defence had also challenged the admissibility of a photocopy image of the deceased driver, citing a potential breach of the Financial Investigations Division Act, which protects confidential information.
The judge ruled the evidence remains admissible in principle, though she refused the prosecution's application to admit a redacted photocopy due to insufficient proof of authenticity.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
Mr. Reid, his wife Sharen and their daughter Sharelle, former Caribbean Maritime University president Fritz Pinnock and Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence are facing charges relating to the alleged diversion of millions from the Ministry of Education and the Caribbean Maritime University.
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