Supreme Court rejects bid by Ruel Reid, co-accused to challenge indictment in fraud case

 

The Supreme Court has rejected an application by the attorneys for former Education Minister Ruel Reid and his co-accused for leave to challenge a ruling by the judge at his fraud trial. 

 

The defence had applied to the Supreme Court for judicial review of the ruling by trial judge Sanchia Burrell, who refused their application to throw out the case.

 

During the trial date in October 2025, the attorneys, led by Hugh Wildman, had contended that the indictment order - the legal document forming the basis of the trial - only names Mr. Reid and co-accused Professor Fritz Pinnock, and makes no direct mention of the other three accused, Mr. Reid's wife Sharen, their daughter Sharelle and Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence.

 

Mr. Wildman told the court that this "cannot be cured" and said the trial is proceeding on an order that is non-existent. He argued that the case should be dismissed as a result.

 

But Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell disagreed, ruling that all five accused fall within the ambit of the indictment and that trial will proceed.

 

After hearing the application for leave for judicial review by Mr. Wildman, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected the application.

 

In dismissing the application, the Supreme Court said the application did not meet the threshold test and did not have a realistic prospect of success. 

 

The court further argued that the attorneys failed to demonstrate that the trial judgeacted without jurisdiction or in excess of jurisdiction in rejecting that application to throw out the case. 

 

In the absence of a clear demonstration to that effect, the Supreme Court made it clear that the application for leave to apply for judicial review was hopeless. 

 

The court also rejected an application by the attorneys to stay the trial. 

 

The attorneys for Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence were not a party to the application. 

 

Prosecutors have told the court that between March 2016 and October 2019, the five accused - Ruel Reid, his wife Sharen Reid, who was employed to the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) as a manager of legal affairs, their daughter Sharelle Reid, Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence and former CMU President Professor Fritz Pinnock - participated in a scheme with others unknown, which siphoned off more than $25 million from both the Ministry of Education and the CMU. 

 

The fraud trial resumes in February in the St. Andrew Parish Court. 

 

All five accused are facing charges of conspiracy to defraud. Mr. Reid and Mr. Pinnock are also charged with acts of corruption. Mr. Reid, his wife, daughter and Mrs. Brown Lawrence, are charged with acquiring and handling criminal property. They're also accused of participating in arrangements to retain those assets.