Kidnapping trial of former policeman begins in Home Circuit Court

THE CROWN has offered no evidence against Kevin Lamont Wolfe, who was charged jointly with 36-year-old former policeman Alpheus Wade, whose trial for kidnapping a St Andrew businessman began this week in the Home Circuit Court.

Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jeremy Taylor and Crown Counsel Larona Montague Williams are representing the Crown in the case in which Wade is accused of kidnapping Marc Frankson in June 2011.

One of Frankson's relatives testified that after she received a phone call on June 15, 2011, she went to Frankson's home in Norbrook, St Andrew. She reported the matter to the police and subsequently went to the Organised Crime Investigations Division (OCID), where a device was set up to monitor calls to her.

She identified Wade in court as someone she had known before and as one of her neighbour's boyfriends. She said she contacted at least three banks to try to get US$500,000 which, at the time, amounted to about $40 million. She said she tried to "scrape up" what she could get and also to borrow to pay the callers who called her on the phone. She said she managed that day to get more than $30 million as persons assisted her.

The witness said that McKay Security Company was called to assist in the matter and the money was given to the security company. She said she was at OCID until

3 a.m. the next day when a woman called from Portmore, St Catherine. She told the police what the lady said and Frankson was later taken to OCID.

negotiation

Policemen testified of chasing a motor vehicle in Portmore on the night of June 11, 2011. Shots were fired from the vehicle, which later crashed into a wall. The occupants of the vehicle escaped but a firearm was recovered.

District Constable Jason McKay said his security firm was contacted by the police to assist in negotiating with the kidnappers. McKay, who said he had experience in negotiating with kidnappers, told the court of steps he took to deal with the matter. He said the police had given him US$91,000, and he went to the Portmore area and began negotiating with the kidnappers by phone. He said 15 attempts were made to drop off the money, but he refused to do so because he had received no visuals of the kidnap victim. He said Marc Frankson was the name of the victim. He subsequently received information and went to OCID, where he saw the victim and members of his family.

Senior Superintendent Clinton Laing testified yesterday that on June 16, 2011, Wade, who he had known before, reported that he had been kidnapped the previous night and robbed of his licensed firearm. He said he cautioned Wade, who said, "Mi a go tell you about my involvement wid di kidnapping of Marc." He said he, Wade, was arrested and taken into custody on reasonable suspicion of the kidnapping of Marc Frankson. Wade, in the presence of his lawyer, gave a cautioned statement to the police on June 17, 2011.

The trial continues on Monday before Justice Jennifer Straw and a seven-member jury.