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  • Lawyer for Antigua’s DPP banks on handwriting expert in ‘kangaroo case’

Lawyer for Antigua’s DPP banks on handwriting expert in ‘kangaroo case’

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Attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman: “This is really a wicked act against Mr Armstrong.”

Attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman on Wednesday urged the court to immediately stay the charges against Antigua’s director of public prosecutions (DPP), Anthony Armstrong, in the real estate fraud case, contending that the police’s own handwriting expert has vindicated his client.

Wildman said that the handwriting expert in a statement had fingered the complainant’s cousin, Shelley Peart-Campbell, who is Armstrong’s co-accused, as the person whose handwriting appears on the transfer documents for the three properties Armstrong is accused of selling.

“So that nuh destroy the case? What you talking about here? An innocent man. Trying to destroy the reputation of a well upstanding citizen and outstanding public servant,” Wildman said.

The accused lawyer is alleged to have sold three properties belonging to the complainant, while he was incarcerated overseas and without his permission, in 2004.

It is further alleged that the complainant had initially retained Armstrong to handle the purchase of the same three properties, two in St Andrew and one in St Ann.

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During submissions before Parish Judge Venice Blackstock-Murray on Wednesday, Wildman contended that the police did not carry out a proper investigation and should be held accountable.

“This is a kangaroo case and a classic case of abuse of process,” he said. “The police handwriting witness says is not Mr Armstrong, is Shelley. This is really a wicked act against Mr Armstrong.”

While emphasising that the judge has the jurisdiction to stay the proceedings, Wildman said there was an abuse of process based on the principles of delay, prosecutorial misconduct, and lack of evidence in the case.

He pointed to the Privy Council case involving Winston Warren in which the court ruled that where criminal or civil proceedings are brought after six years after the alleged offence, the proceeding is an abuse of process and must be stayed.

“They thought six years was oppressive, but we talking about 18 years on the Crown’s case, which is double and triple oppression,” Wildman told the court.

He argued that based on the principles, Armstrong would have been denied an opportunity to call witnesses and bring documents, and essentially, would be at disadvantage.

Furthermore, he said, “The DPP (Jamaica’s Paula Llewellyn and her office) get the file and never rule. The DPP could not rule, and they did not, so that is part of the abuse of process, the prosecutorial misconduct residing in the police force and the witness that she had brought here.”

According to Wildman, his client had only assisted the complainant with the purchase of one of the properties and had nothing to do with the purchase of the other two properties.

Wildman said his client assisted the complainant out of the goodness of his heart and had not even collected gas money when it was offered.

“There is a saying, no good deed go unpunished, so you have to be careful how you help people ‘cause it will come around to soak you,” he said.

Wildman claims that the complainant went after his client as he was desperate to get money after being released from prison, and he realised that his client was in a good job in Antigua.

He said the complainant told his client that he was going to “ dutty up” his reputation in Jamaica if he did not give him money.

Wildman said his client ended up sending some funds to the client but stopped after a while.

The complainant, however, alleges that the money was sent as part of the money that Armstrong had promised to repay him for selling his properties.

Wildman will complete his submission on December 5.

Peart-Campbell also appeared in court on Wednesday; however, her matter was scheduled for December 14.

SOURCE: Jamaica Gleaner

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]