Antigua’s DPP accused of fraudulent conversion seems in Jamaican court docket, needs passport returned

The director of public prosecutions (DPP) in Antigua, Jamaican lawyer Anthony Armstrong, appeared within the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Courtroom on Monday on allegations of fraudulent conversion.

Armstrong arrived within the island on Saturday and was arrested in reference to the accusation.

His passport was confiscated, and he was launched on J$500,000 bail.

– Commercial –

The costs are in relation to the sale of three properties in Jamaica 18 years in the past when Armstrong represented the complainant, who was the seller.

Armstrong claims he isn’t responsible of the accusations because the sale proceeds have been paid to the complainant’s father, whom he had licensed as his agent whereas he was incarcerated in the US.

Armstrong stated the complainant and his cousin owned one of many properties.

He additional stated that after the complainant returned to Jamaica he acquired threats from the complainant, claiming that he advised him that he was going to “dutty up” his identify and trigger him to lose his job.

The complainant had reported Armstrong to the Basic Authorized Council (GLC) over the matter.

Armstrong was then discovered responsible {of professional} misconduct by the GLC’s Disciplinary Committee in February for signing a doc for a consumer who was not current.

When the matter was mentioned within the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Courtroom on Monday morning, attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman expressed shock at his consumer’s arrest, claiming there was no basis for Armstrong to be charged.

Wildman additionally requested that his consumer’s passport be returned.

The investigating officer within the case, nevertheless, objected to the return of Armstrong’s passport. It was stated that the police requested Armstrong to come back in for an interview in August, however he declined.

Nevertheless, Wildman sought to refute the investigator’s declare, stating that his consumer returned to facilitate the inquiry and anticipated to attend a question-and-answer session however was as an alternative arrested and charged.

Parish Decide Venise Blackstock Murray requested that the case be set for Thursday when she is going to rule on the passport request.