Spencer

THE TRIAL of the accused in the Cuban light-bulb scandal will begin in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on June 22 and is expected to last at least two weeks.

Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown set the date yesterday, despite protest from defence attorneys that they had not been served all documents germane to the case and that they were, therefore, not in a position to go to trial.

Brown, however, told them that "between now and then, this is the opportunity to put everything in order".

When the trial begins, only embattled Member of Parliament for North East St Elizabeth, Kern Spencer, and his companion, Colleen Wright, will be in the dock answering criminal charges.

Rodney Chin, who was charged jointly with them, will be among 32 witnesses the Crown will call upon to help prove its case. Yesterday, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn dropped all charges against Chin when the matter came up for mention in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

Out on bail

Chin, Spencer and Wright were arrested February 26 last year, following an investigation into the implementation of the Cuban light-bulb project.

Chin and Spencer were charged with money laundering, corruption and conspiracy to defraud. Both men were out on $10 million bail before Chin decided to testify against his co-accused.

Wright is charged with aiding and abetting corruption. She is on $5 million bail.

In court yesterday Llewellyn fended off a push, from defence counsel for Spencer and Wright, for more disclosure in relation to the circumstances under which Chin's status changed from criminal accused to Crown witness.

The defence has requested that Llewellyn give them all statements or conversations that took place between Chin and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; statements or conversation between Chin and parliamentarians, including government ministers; and, a list of all contracts that Chin received from Government since September last year.

Ready to commence

Llewellyn told the court she had provided the defence with all possible documents and statements, and indicated that the Crown was ready to commence trial.

Spencer, state minister in the Ministry of Energy during the Portia Simpson Miller administration of the last People's National Party government, had ministerial responsibility for the project, which involved the replacement of incandescent bulbs with four million energy-saving fixtures given to the island by the Cuban government.

Chin's companies - Universal Management and Development Limited and Caribbean Communications Media Network Limited - were beneficiaries of the contracts, which did not go to tender as required by law.