Croskery, Meany, Harding hit with multiple charges in SSL fraud case

More than a dozen criminal charges have been filed against the three people who were taken into custody on Saturday in connection with the alleged multibillion-dollar fraud at the collapsed investment firm Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), an attorney and law enforcement sources have disclosed.

Hugh Croskery, founding director of SSL; his daughter, Sarah Meany; and former SSL chief executive officer, Zachary Harding, have each been charged with fraudulently inducing persons to invest; failure to register a company carrying on business in Jamaica; carrying on a securities business without a dealer’s licence; failure to apply to the [Financial Services] Commission to be registered for securities issued; and breaches of the Banking Services Act.

Croskery was released on bail in the sum of $1 million and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on January 26, one of his attorneys, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie, confirmed.

Attorney-at-law Samoi Campbell also represents the SSL founder.

He was ordered to surrender his travel documents as part of the bail conditions.

Sources said Meany and Harding were also granted bail, but the conditions of their release were not disclosed.

The charges fall under the Securities Act, the Bank of Jamaica Act, the Banking Services Act and the Larceny Act.

Champagnie said his client has consistently maintained that he did not do anything wrong and has always made himself available to the relevant authorities.

He also urged caution from “those who are quick to want to pronounce guilt”.

“Allow the process to be ventilated in court so that there is a proper evaluation of the situation in a judicious way,” the attorney told The Gleaner on Sunday.

“We should not be given to all kinds of wild speculation and emotions. Allow the justice system to take its course.”

-Livern Barrett

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