Headlines:
| Kern Spencer’s lawyers demand early trial |
|
|
| Friday, 16 May 2008 | |
 Government prosecutors and Defence attorneys for Kern
Spencer and two co-accused on Friday morning squared off in the Half Way Tree
Criminal court.The attorneys clashed during the court session over allegations arising from the Cuban Light Bulb Scandal. The battle lines have been drawn in the Cuban light bulb case. Lawyers for Mr. Spencer, Rodney Chin and Coleen Wright demanded an early trial. The lawyers made their request after the Director of Public Prosecutions provided them with the statement in the case. But DPP Paula Llewellyn would have none of it. She told the court that investigators were still carrying out forensic checks. Miss Llewellyn told the defence team the prosecution would not be rushed or intimidated into setting an early trial date. She said the case is complex and the documentation volumninous. Miss Llewellyn however drew the wrath of the defence when she warned that the police will prosecute anyone close to the accused persons who tries to interfere with the witnesses. The defence argued that she was casting aspersions on their clients and this was unacceptable. At the height of the sparring Senior Magistrate Glen Brown intervened and told the lawyers to take their seats. He then set a mention date of June 16. Mr. Spencer, Mr. Chin and Miss Wright are charged with several counts of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and breaches of the corruption prevention act following their arrest on February 26. And lead attorney for Mr. Spencer Patrick Atkinson says the delay is creating a major problem, as more than eleven weeks have passed since the last mention date. Mr. Atkinson said he was expecting that a trial date would have been set on Friday. "They came here in March asking for six weeks, the judge gave them seven and we came today expecting a trial date. Only to hear that they want another four weeks to get more statements expecting that on June 19 they will come to set a trial date. But I think this is slackness, absolute slackness," he said. Mr. Atkinson said a handful of documents were sent to his office on Thursday however they amounted to nothing. He said the prosecution should move swiftly to turn over the other documents. |