Environmental breach cases against UC Rusal to be tried separately

Two cases against bauxite company UC Rusal for alleged breaches of the Wild Life Protection Act will proceed separately, a judge in the St Catherine Parish Court has ruled.

Acting Senior Parish Court Judge Janelle Nelson-Gayle told the parties on Tuesday that the request for a joinder could not be granted.

"From my reading of the application, I don't have enough information on which to grant a joinder in the matter, so the request is rejected," Nelson-Gayle said.

The application for the joinder related to matters in which UC Rusal has been charged under section 11 of the Wild Life Protection Act. The alleged breaches occurred on August 1, 2021 and July 26, 2022, when trade effluent from the bauxite company reportedly contaminated a waterway.

On July 7, when the 2021 matter was scheduled to start, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) furnished additional information, and on July 15, it applied to the court to have the 2022 matter tried at the same time as the 2021 case.

The legal team for UC Rusal opposed the application.

A trial date of September 11, 2025 has been set for the 2022 matter, while the 2021 case is to be tried on November 10, 2025.

The UC Rusal is represented by attorneys-at-law Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, Stephanie Ewbank and Ronaldo Richards.

Attorney-at-Law Rasheed Lee from the ODPP is representing the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), which brought the case.

- Rasbert Turner

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