System not working, says defence lawyer in corruption case

(CNS): Four men who have been charged under the Anti-Corruption Act were told on Friday to return to court in the New Year because the necessary documents relating to the charges being prepared by the crown are not expected to be ready for several weeks. Although no details about this particular ACC inquiry have been released, the case is already old, dating back to 2020.

Local attorney Prathna Bodden, who spoke for the men when they appeared in Grand Court, raised her concerns as one of the men doesn’t have legal aid and is funding his own defence.

Maxwell Renal Linwood (46), a former public officer with the Department of Environmental Health, and Omar Anthony Samuels (46), a shutter fitter in the private sector, both from George Town, were charged in June with various criminal and corruption offences.

Linwood faces charges of breach of trust, obtaining property by deception, being concerned in a money laundering arrangement, acquiring criminal property and transferring criminal property. Samuels is facing one count of obtaining property by deception and another of being concerned in a money laundering arrangement.

The other two men, Douglas Anthony Smith (48) from Newlands and Shaun Michael Abshire Scott (24) from George Town, were charged in August. They have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud on the government, obtaining property by deception, and being concerned in a money-laundering arrangement.

Bodden told the court that the crown was seeking to join the cases. But she argued that the system was failing her client and the other men, as the crown was far from ready, and it would be weeks before the documents were ready to be fully disclosed. She said the authorities had found time to focus on press releases announcing the charges but had failed to put together their case against the men accused of the offences.

The judge directed the crown to ensure it would be ready at the next meeting, adding that this was not a matter that the court wanted to see delayed any further.