Submissions underway in James Forbes corruption appeal

Lawyers representing Senior Superintendent of Police James Forbes are making submissions in his corruption appeal in the Court of Appeal.

The case began yesterday and is continuing today.

In May 2014, Forbes was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and fined $800,000 or six months at hard labour.

Forbes was convicted of facilitating a meeting between businessman Bruce Bicknell and police investigators to drop a traffic ticket.

Yesterday, before the start of the hearing, the court granted an application by his attorneys to introduce new evidence.

The defence team, led by Queen's Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, asked the court to introduce two documents into fresh evidence.

One was the transcript of the corruption case brought against Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz, in which the crown offered no further evidence; and the other was a press release issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn indicating the reasons for her decision in the Vaz case, as well as, her reasons for discontinuing the case against Bicknell.

Forbes, Bicknell, and Vaz were all charged for corruption in relation to the traffic stop.

The case against Bicknell and Vaz was dismissed by the prosecution while the court ruled that the senior cop had a case to answer.

Forbes was subsequently convicted.

Following the submissions yesterday, the court allowed the inclusion of one of the documents.

"Overall, the court decided that it would allow the fresh evidence application in respect of the transcript. So they allowed the transcript of that aborted trial into fresh evidence so that the appellant can now rely on it in their arguments in the hearing of the appeal", explained Acting Senior Deputy Director of Prosecutions Sharon Millwood-Moore. 

"What has now started is that the counsel for the appellant is now presenting their arguments for the substantive appeal, and that will continue today," said Moore yesterday.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-449-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.