KINGSTON, Jamaica (McKoy’s News) — A major twist has emerged in the high-profile multimillion-dollar fraud case involving former Education Minister Ruel Reid and his co-accused, as defence attorneys are now calling for the charges to be dropped, claiming that key evidence was obtained in breach of the law.
Reid, along with his wife Sharen, daughter Sharelle, former JLP councillor Kim Brown Lawrence, and former Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Fritz Pinnock, are facing a raft of charges including breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
During Tuesday’s official start of the trial, prosecutors were preparing to seek an order of indictment, but were immediately challenged by attorney Hugh Wildman, who represents Pinnock.
Wildman told presiding Judge Sanchia Burrell that the evidence forming the backbone of the prosecution’s case was obtained in breach of the Financial Investigations Division Act (FIDA). He argued that, based on statute, such evidence is inadmissible, and urged the court not to grant the order of indictment unless prosecutors could show they had other lawful evidence to rely on.
Other defence attorneys quickly aligned themselves with Wildman’s submission, calling for the case to be struck out entirely.
The court has since paused for lunch, with the prosecution yet to respond to the defence’s application.
The trial — already delayed for years due to multiple legal challenges — has drawn intense national attention, as the allegations involve millions of dollars allegedly misappropriated from the Education Ministry and CMU.
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