Judge decries ‘inappropriate things’ taking place in CMU trial

The judge presiding over the oft-delayed fraud trial involving former Education Minister Ruel Reid has indicated that “a lot of inappropriate things” have taken place in the case.

Senior Parish Court Judge Sanchia Burrell made the observation in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday.

It came after one of Reid’s co-accused, former President of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Professor Fritz Pinnock, revealed that his attorney Hugh Wildman would again be a no-show and that he had sent an email explaining his absence.

Wildman was also absent on October 5, when the trial resumed after a three-month break.

He sent an email at 4:57 p.m. on October 2 explaining that he would not be present on October 5 because he had two other cases before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, the judge disclosed in court at the time.

Yesterday’s resumption was delayed for over two hours because there was no information and communications technology employee present, but still Wildman was a no-show.

“Do you have anything to say to me today with respect to [legal] representation on your behalf?” the judge asked Pinnock.

“Mr Wildman is in the country and he sent an email,” the former CMU president replied.

The answer drew a sharp response from Burrell, who said she “found it a little odd because I’ve never seen it done this way, where emails are sent ... that pertains to things that must be on the record”.

“A lot of inappropriate things have taken place and I am not going to sanction them, and I’m not going to entertain them,” she said, adding that “an email doesn’t stand before me and speak, so it’s not on the record”.

The judge did not elaborate on the “inappropriate things”.

“There is a way that we practise in the courts. It is not ad hoc, it is not as we personally deem appropriate. There is a way that things are done and I will not, under my stewardship, be deviating from the proper way that we were all taught to do things,” she said.

The trial was adjourned early after prosecutors indicated that the witness who was scheduled to give evidence could not attend court.

It is scheduled to continue today.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com