Reid, co-accused to return to court April 3
Published:Tuesday | January 10, 2023 | 1:39 AM
Former Education Minister Ruel Reid and former Caribbean Maritime University President Fritz Pinnock, along with their three co-accused, are to return to court on April 3, pending the outcome of a judicial review.
The new mention date was set on Monday morning in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.
Reid, his wife Sharen, and their daughter Sharelle; Pinnock; and Jamaica Labour Party Councillor for the Brown’s Town Division Kim Brown Lawrence all appeared for the mention.
The date was agreed on by attorneys representing the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and the five accused after Senior Parish Judge Jacqueline Wilcott noted that it was better to have them return after the judicial review.
The hearing for that review is set for February 6 and 7.
The Supreme Court is to review a court ruling that Reid and his co-accused have a case to answer over their alleged corrupt actions.
Chief Parish Judge Chester Crooks had ruled last February that the accused, who are implicated in a multimillion-dollar fraud case, had a case to answer.
The judge’s ruling was in response to a preliminary objection raised by Reid and Pinnock on the basis that the charges against them should be nullified as the FID, which levelled the charges, had no authority in law to arrest or charge them.
Reid and Pinnock took issue with the decision after Crooks declared that he was recusing himself from the trial because of a perceived conflict of interest and sought a judicial review.
It was later revealed that the conflict was in relation to the judge’s attendance at Munro College while Reid was head boy.
Justice Wilcott said that an April date will give all parties involved sufficient time to prepare after the outcome of the judicial review.
The five have been charged with a range of offences including breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Investigators have alleged that nearly $50 million of public funds were diverted to the personal use of Reid and Pinnock through several schemes, including one that mirrors the Career Advancement Programme – Youth Employment Solutions programme.
The FID is being represented by attorneys Richard Small and Shawn Steadman, while Hugh Wildman and Carolyn Chuck are two of the attorneys representing the five accused.