PNP councillor, businessman granted bail

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | 4:37 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – People’s National Party councillor Rohan Bryan and businessman Ludlow McWhinney were on Wednesday offered bail in the sum of J$600,000, after they appeared before the Morant Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The bail was offered with surety and the men instructed to surrender their travel documents.

Reports are that McWhinney allegedly contacted a relative of a complainant in a case of sexual misconduct involving a minister of religion, in an attempt to influence their decision to proceed with the matter in November last year.

Further allegations are that in January, Bryan tried to influence both the complainant and the relative in an effort to affect the outcome of the case. Reports were made and an investigation launched by the Morant Bay police, after which a file was prepared and submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a ruling.

The DPP ruled on the matter and both men were this morning arrested and charged.

They are scheduled to reappear in court on March 11, 2015.

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PNP councillor, businessman granted bail

Businessman freed on gun-related charges

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 | 5:19 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Former National Works Agency (NWA) Director of Regional Special Projects, George Knight, and his co-accused Clava Mantock Jr, were today (Wednesday, December 17) freed of gun-related charges in the Gun Court, downtown Kingston.

Knight was charged in July by the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, (MOCA) with aiding and abetting illegal possession of ammunition.

Knight’s attorney, Peter Champagnie Wednesday noted that prosecutors indicated that they would not be proceeding in respect of that charge.

Knight is also facing multiple fraud charges.

Prosecutors are alleging that Knight’s company, Cenitech Engineering Solutions, submitted a number of forged documents to authorities to be registered as an approved contractor.

Champagnie said that his client is maintaining his innocence in respect of all of the accusations.

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Businessman freed on gun-related charges

Woman accused of stabbing businessman offered bail

Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

WESTERN BUREAU: A St James woman recently charged in connection with the stabbing death of a businessman at a nightclub in Montego Bay, was offered bail in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court.

Renee Hibbert from Paradise Crescent, Montego Bay, is charged with the murder of Kentley Thomas. She was offered $350,000 bail with three sureties. Her case was set for mention on November 26.

The allegations are that on Saturday, September 13, approximately 5:15 a.m., Hibbert and Thomas were patrons at a nightclub along Gloucester Avenue, in Montego Bay.

It is further alleged that, while at the club, the two got into an argument. During the ensuing brawl, Hibbert brandished a knife and stabbed Thomas in the chest, before fleeing the scene. Thomas was subsequently pronounced dead at hospital, and Hibbert was arrested and charged on September 24.

In court, Clerk of the Court Yanique Henry expressed opposition to Hibbert getting bail on the grounds that the defendant and a number of the witnesses in the case live close to each other.

Same community

“The prosecution has certain concerns, as the witnesses and the accused live in the same community and there may be interference,” Henry told presiding magistrate Carolyn Tie.

But Hibbert’s lawyer, Shelly-Ann Hyman, told the court that her client could relocate to another address for the duration of the case.

“There is a relative in Falmouth, who is willing to accommodate her during this process,” said Hyman.

“I am not minded to entertain the application until that relative is here, because the concerns raised by the prosecution are quite serious,” RM Tie replied.

Hibbert was eventually offered bail, on the condition that she should relocate to Falmouth and have no contact with the witnesses in the case. She was also ordered to report at the Falmouth Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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Woman accused of stabbing businessman offered bail

UPDATE: Trial of accused killers of businessman Bunny Francis postponed

Monday, September 29, 2014 | 2:53 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The case of the four men charged with the murder of Roderick ‘Bunny’ Francis, a high-profile player in the local fishing industry, was today taken off the trial list in the Home Circuit Court.

The matter was set to be tried today but the court was informed that some documents were still outstanding. As a result, the matter was taken out of the trial list and set for mention on October 29 for bail application.

The accused are, 42-year-old Carlos Batista of Allerdyce Drive, Kingston 8; 27-year-old George Gardner; Sheldon Watson, 36; and Newton Welsh, all of Kingston addresses.

Sixty-six-year-old Francis was shot dead by gunmen, pretending to have car trouble, outside his Queensway home in St Andrew in July 2011.

Francis’s death is believed to be a contract killing.

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UPDATE: Trial of accused killers of businessman Bunny Francis postponed

Businessman acquires substantial stake in KLE Group

Businessman Joseph Bagdanovich has acquired a substantial stake in the KLE Group, in keeping with the company’s strategy to grow the organisation.
Some directors, who previously held significant volumes of  shares in the company, agreed to sell some of  them on the open market, so more would be available to the general public.
Last week KLE Directors sold 8.1 million shares; and on Tuesday it was revealed that 5.89 million shares were also sold last week Tuesday.
CEO of the KLE Group, Gary Matalon, said in a statement, that Bagdanovich’s investment in the company, is particularly valuable at this time, as it seeks to expand internationally and develop the Tracks & Records brand.
Matalon argues that KLE hopes to benefit from his vast experience in the field of entertainment; and his network of international contacts.

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Businessman acquires substantial stake in KLE Group

Jailed businessman to know his fate on Wednesday

Jailed St. Ann businessman, Christopher Carr, will know on Wednesday, whether he will be released on bond.

On Monday, lawyers for the real estate developer renewed their bail application before the Corporate Area Criminal Court, as questions continued about his true identity.

Carr was charged last week with uttering forged documents, after investigators alleged, that he has more than one name.

The Resident Magistrate, on Monday instructed the police to question him further about his true identity, after investigators claimed he has two birth certificates, in breach of  the Forgery Act.   

Investigators from the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Taskforce (MOCA) reported that Carr, whose given name is Donovan Carr, has been conducting business in the name Christopher Carr.

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Jailed businessman to know his fate on Wednesday

No breakthrough in killing of Portmore businessman

The Portmore police say they have not made any breakthrough, but are following several leads into the abduction and killing of a 54-year-old businessman on Friday.

The dead man has been identified as Keith Murray, who is of a Caribbean Estate address in Portmore, St Catherine.

Police say investigations have so far revealed that Murray returned to the island from a trip to the United Kingdom on Friday, the same day he was killed, and was abducted along the Fort Augusta Road in Portmore.

A body was later found in Spanish Town, St Catherine, and confirmed to be that of the missing man.

The police say they are again appealing to persons who are returning to the island to be careful who they inform on their return, as some of these incidents regarding people returning to the island are not coincidental.

According to the lawmen, some of the robberies and abductions of people who just arrived in the island and are on their way to their location are oftentime orchestrated by individuals who know that the victims are returning on the particular date and time.

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No breakthrough in killing of Portmore businessman