House Speaker, co-accused freed in illegal dumping case

House Speaker Marissa Dalrymple-Philibert and her two co-accused have been freed in their illegal dumping case.

She, her son Giovanni Philibert, and her gardener Simon Sanchez were acquitted in the St Ann Parish Court today following a no-case submission by their attorney Peter Champagnie.

Dalrymple-Philibert, who is also member of parliament for South Trelawny for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, her son and Sanchez were jointly charged with breaches of the National Solid Waste Management Authority Act.

The police had reported that they were allegedly caught dumping garbage at the side of the road near Salem in St Ann on August 15 last year.

In court today, Champagnie, who along with attorney Tom Tavares Finson was representing the three, argued that based on the fact that the accused had picked up the garbage, as instructed by the police, they should not have been charged.

Parish court judge Larona Montague-Williams, in interpreting the law, said the legislation states that if the person deposits the garbage "and leaves" then the person is guilty.

She said based on the statement of the arresting policeman, the accused did not leave the scene but were prevented from doing so because the cop prevented them when he instructed them to pick up the items.

"My interpretation is it should have been deposited and left...the offence was not completed," the judge said.

"Because of that, I cannot find that there is a case to answer," the judge added.

The defence lawyers later told reporters that their clients are relieved at the outcome.

- Carl Gilchrist

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