Millions more for meals

Another 16 sets of documents showing how Professor Fritz Pinnock, former president of Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), authorised payments totalling millions of dollars “for the provision of meals” for an intervention programme for at-risk young people have become evidence in his trial.

The documents were admitted into evidence on Thursday after they were identified by a former CMU executive, who testified that he saw them at the east Kingston based-university, and that they were among several documents he handed over to police investigators.

Pinnock is on trial, along with Jamaica Labour Party-aligned Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence, former Education Minister Ruel Reid, his wife Sharen, and their daughter Sharelle, for multiple fraud-related crimes.

The charges are related to a scheme that was allegedly used to siphon more than $25 million in public funds through fake jobs, sham contracts, and bogus invoices between 2016 and 2019.

Seven sets of documents, which include payment vouchers and accompanying memorandums, related to payments Pinnock authorised for a man between August 2018 and February 2019 were admitted into evidence.

The man’s identity is being withheld because Senior Parish Court Judge Sanchia Burrell has asked the media not to publish the names of witnesses, including those who have not yet given evidence, citing security concerns.

The first payment voucher, dated August 13, 2018, showed that Pinnock authorised a payment of $850,000 to the man.

“What was [name redacted] being paid for?” asked the prosecutor, who led the ex-CMU executive through his evidence.

“Provision of meals June and July 2018 at-risk youth intervention programme,” he replied, adding that he was making reference to the Career Advancement Programme-Youth Empowerment Services (CAP-YES).

He acknowledged that another payment voucher had a notation that indicated that there were 50 students in the programme, over five days per week and four weeks per month, equalling 1,000 meals at $575 each.

“Based on the information I received, I performed a calculation to justify, arithmetically, the gross amount of $575,000 to be paid monthly [to the same man]”, the ex-CMU executive responded when the prosecutor asked him to explain why the notation was on the document.

Nine sets of documents showing how Pinnock authorised payments totalling $4 million to another woman for the provision of meals for students enrolled in the CAP-YES initiative were also entered into evidence.

The cheque payment vouchers related to the $450,000 monthly payments Pinnock authorised for the woman, dating from May 25, 2018, to February 25, 2019, the former CMU executive testified.

He answered yes when asked if the same name appeared on all nine cheque payment vouchers and whether the purposes were the same.

More than six dozen cheque-payment vouchers and supporting documents have been admitted into evidence detailing how Pinnock authorised payments totalling more than $12 million to at least eight people for the provision of meals for students in the CAP-YES initiative.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com