Ruel Reid and Fritz Pinnock lose Privy Council bid to have corruption charges dropped

Corruption-accused former Education Minister Ruel Reid and ex-president of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) Fritz Pinnock have lost their bid to have the Privy Council, Jamaica's final appellate court, dismiss the charges against them.  

The men have been contending that the Financial Investigations Division (FID), which charged them, did not have the authority to do so. 

Last week, the UK-based court refused the mens' application to appeal the issue, ruling that the Jamaican parish court, where the case was first brought, should decide whether the FID has the authority. 

Attorney-at-Law Hugh Wildman, who represents Reid and Pinnock, said Monday that his clients will go ahead with their case for a judicial review of the decision of Senior Parish Judge Chester Crooks that the trial in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court should proceed.

The Privy Council considered the application on paper. 

Both the Jamaican Full Court and the Court of Appeal had ruled that the legal challenge against the FID should be made in the parish court. 

The Court of Appeal is second to the Privy Council. 

After the Court of Appeal refused an application in November 2021 for the men to go the UK, they applied directly by way of a special leave in an effort to have the charges dropped.

Reid, his wife Sharen, their daughter Sharelle along with Pinnock and Jamaica Labour Party Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence are facing fraud and corruption charges involving nearly $50 million diverted from the Ministry of Education and CMU for their personal use. 

They were arrested in October 2019 and had their bails extended on October 3, to return to the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on January 9, 2023. 

Senior Parish Judge Chester Crooks had ruled in February 2021 that the trial should proceed after the accused applied for the case to be dropped claiming that the FID had no authority to arrest and charge them.

Following the ruling, Crooks recused himself because of conflict of interest. He had attended Munro College, St Elizabeth when Reid was head boy.

Reid and Pinnock are asking the Judicial Review Court to quash Crooks' decision because of conflict of interest.  The hearing is set for February 6 and 7, 2023. 

Supreme Court Judge Courtney Daye, in June last year, halted the trial pending the ruling of the Judicial Review Court.

The FID sought to have the stay overturned but Supreme Court Judge Andrea Pettigrew-Collins said she had no authority to do so.

That matter is now before the Court of Appeal as the FID is appealing the ruling.

- Barbara Gayle

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