Court orders release of laptops in WIPL saga
Published:Wednesday | April 20, 2022 | 12:11 AM
Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Montaque on Tuesday ordered the release of laptops seized from an information technology specialist implicated in alleged cybercrime breaches with former company directors of West Indies Petroleum Limited (WIPL), Courtney Wilkinson and John Levy.
The judge made the order for the devices to be returned to Winston Henry by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, when the case was mentioned in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.
The two ex-directors, in the meantime, are to return to court on Thursday for the judge to consider a similar order for the release of items that were seized from them but are the property of their respective companies.
Attorney-at-law Carolyn Reid Cameron, QC, who is representing Henry, along with her husband, Chukwuemeka Cameron, had asked the judge on the last court date to make an order for the police to release the third-party devices seized from her client.
She had also pointed out that the warrant that was executed was only for the items to be inspected.
Attorney-at-law Christopher Townsend, who is representing the ex-directors, made a similar request when he appeared in court on Tuesday.
The judge, as a result, extended the men’s bail and ordered them to return on Thursday.
Prior to that, the court was informed that the Communications Forensics and Cybercrimes Unit report in the case will not be ready until July.
The two-well known businessmen were arrested and charged with unauthorised access to computer program or data, conspiracy to unauthorised access to computer program or data, conspiracy to access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence, and conspiracy to unauthorised modification of computer program or data.
Henry, 36, was charged with conspiracy to unauthorised access to computer program or data, unauthorised modification of computer program or data, conspiracy to unauthorised access to computer program or data and access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence.
Wilkinson, 57, is the owner of Alcor Windows & Doors, while Levy, 59, is the owner of Ecomarine Limited.
Allegations are that the businessmen – who were at the time directors of WIPL – gained unauthorised access to the emails of the company’s chief executive officer and three other senior WIPL staff members in February last year.
They allegedly did so with the help of Henry.
The two ex-directors have been embroiled in a legal tussle with the company since they parted ways.