Judicial Scoop:
- Jamaica’s Appeal Court upheld a lower court conviction in the Manchester Municipal Corporation fraud case.
- A Parish Judge offered a weapons importation suspect bail with conditions.
Former Deputy Superintendent of Roads and Works at the Manchester Municipal Corporation, Sanja Elliot, lost his bid to have the Appeal Court overturn his conviction and quash his 2020 sentence of five years at hard labor for defrauding the Corporation of millions.
The Court of Appeal, on Friday, November 24, 2023, rejected Elliot’s appeal, finding no basis to disturb the verdict in the lower court, which means the former Deputy Superintendent of Roads and Works in Manchester will have to serve his five-year prison sentence.
The high-profile case had dominated national headlines and caused an almighty political row at the then-Manchester Parish Council.
Sanja Elliot was convicted in 2020 of multiple charges, including fraud and corruption. He was sentenced to five years in prison with hard labor.
Prosecutors accused Elliot of being part of a scheme with two other employees of the Manchester Municipal Corporation. They generated fake invoices for work that was never done and approved fraudulent payments. The money was then deposited into Elliot’s accounts.
It is alleged that over $48 million was stolen from the Municipal Corporation through this scheme. The stolen money was used to buy land and vehicles and support a lavish lifestyle.
Elliot denied the allegations, claiming that the money came from his legitimate business ventures.
He appealed the conviction, arguing that he was not given a fair trial and that there was misconduct by the prosecutors. However, the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, stating that the evidence presented met the required standard.
The judges acknowledged that there were inconsistencies in witness statements and testimonies. Still, they stated that it is up to the jury or judge to determine the credibility of the witnesses as long as the evidence is not completely discredited.
The panel also found no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct and commended the trial judge’s conduct.
The appeal was dismissed, and Elliot’s sentence was deemed to have started on July 27, 2020.
Judge offered suspect in weapons importation case $500,000 bail with conditions.
Kingston, Jamaica–An American businessman named Fitzroy Johnson has been granted bail after being accused of purchasing five illegal weapons.
Johnson, who resides in Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested at the Norman Manley International Airport upon arriving in Jamaica on November 3, 2023. He has been charged with conspiracy to import illegal guns and ammunition.
The alleged mastermind of the operation, a businessman named Godfrey Martin, has also been arrested and charged, along with Sherilyn McLean, his girlfriend.
Two other individuals, Jermaine Baker and Dervan Brown, both US nationals, have also been charged in connection with the illegal gun seizure. The group is scheduled to return to court on December 14 for a plea and case management hearing, with a trial date set for May 13 next year.