Prosecutors are preparing to call 92 witnesses in the multimillion-dollar fraud case against former Education Minister Ruel Reid and former Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Professor Fritz Pinnock, as the long-awaited trial begins hearing evidence on Thursday in the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court.
According to lead prosecutor Ashtelle Steele, the Crown intends to prove that between 2016 and 2019, the accused were part of an elaborate scheme to defraud the government of more than $25 million through a network of fake contracts, bogus invoices, and fraudulent employment arrangements.
Among the allegations is that a domestic helper employed at the Reids’ family home was secretly placed on the Ministry of Education’s payroll without her knowledge. Investigators say she was assisted in opening a bank account, but her ATM card was kept by members of the Reid family, who then accessed the funds.
The prosecution alleges that this formed part of a wider operation involving Reid, Pinnock, Reid’s wife Sharen, daughter Sharelle, and Jamaica Labour Party Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence. Brown Lawrence is accused of conspiring with the others to divert public money from both the Education Ministry and the CMU.
Prosecutors say they will show that several individuals were paid by CMU for work they never performed, with false invoices and payment vouchers generated to support the fraudulent disbursements. Professor Pinnock is alleged to have authorised some of these documents, while Brown Lawrence is said to have received money she knew—or should have known—was obtained illegally.
The Crown plans to rely on banking records, text messages, and witness testimony to trace the flow of funds into accounts controlled by the accused.
All five defendants are facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in public office, breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, and violations of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
