CMU MONEY TRAIL - Pinnock’s signature on meal payment vouchers for Brown Lawrence, court told

Prosecutors on Tuesday tendered into evidence dozens of documents showing that former Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Professor Fritz Pinnock authorised hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to Jamaica Labour Party-aligned councillor Kim Brown Lawrence to “supply and deliver meals for students” enrolled in an intervention programme.

Pinnock and Brown Lawrence are on trial, along with former Education Minister Ruel Reid and his wife, Sharen, and their daughter, Sharelle, for multiple fraud-related crimes connected to a scheme that allegedly siphoned more than $25 million in public funds through fake jobs, sham contracts, and bogus invoices between 2016 and 2019.

The three dozen exhibits also showed that Pinnock authorised payments totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars to two individuals – a woman who was being paid for “research and preparation for diaspora marketing” and Devon McQueen, Reid’s former driver, for “provision for students’ meals”.

The woman’s name is being withheld because the presiding judge has asked the media not to publish the names of witnesses, including those who are still to give evidence, citing safety concerns.

McQueen has since passed away.

One of the exhibits, a cheque payment voucher dated May 25, 2018, in the amount of $166,666, was displayed on a television screen inside the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court while a former CMU executive gave evidence.

The witness testified that the documents are among several CMU records he handed over to police investigators.

He pointed out Pinnock’s signature on the cheque payment voucher, indicating that it was beside the words “authorised by”.

“The payee, could you tell us the name, please?” asked the prosecutor, who led the former CMU executive through his evidence.

“Kim Brown Lawrence,” he replied.

“Payment for what? Can you help us with that?” the prosecutor continued.

“Supply and deliver meals for students,” he replied.

EMOTIONAL COUNCILLOR

His testimony was interrupted after the councillor became emotional and began shaking and looking up at the ceiling, apparently struggling to hold back tears.

“Are you okay, Mrs Brown Lawrence?” enquired Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell, who is presiding over the trial.

Her response was inaudible.

King’s Counsel Oswest Senior Smith, one of the attorneys representing Brown Lawrence, the councillor for the Brown’s Town Division in St Ann, requested a conference with the judge and prosecuting attorneys, after which they agreed to a brief adjournment.

“I am of the considered view that we should take another break for 15 minutes. I won’t put anything else on the record,” the judge said.

On the resumption, the witness was shown eight other payment vouchers and related documents.

He testified that they all bore Pinnock’s signature authorising the payments and that Brown Lawrence’s name was on all eight.

“Is Brown Lawrence named in those exhibits also?” the prosecutor asked.

“That is correct,” the former CMU executive replied.

“Can you tell us whether the payment is for the same [purpose] as in Exhibit 10A?” the prosecutor continued, referring to the previous payment voucher.

“Yes, the description ‘supply and deliver meals for students’ is the same throughout these documents,” he replied.

An invoice dated April 22, 2018, was also displayed on the screen. It showed that the supplier provided 660 meals – each costing $500 – for a total of $330,000.

The witness identified “Devon McQueen” as the supplier.

A third cheque payment voucher, dated September 20, 2018, was shown to the former CMU executive. It listed the woman’s name as the payee and indicated that the payment was for “research and preparation for diaspora marketing”.

Prosecutors are expected to tender additional CMU records into evidence when the trial continues on Wednesday.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com