Wildman to lay out basis for Armstrong’s charges to be quashed
Published:Friday | November 11, 2022 | 5:58 AM
The legal team of Antigua’s Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Armstrong is expected to start making submissions on November 16 in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court to have the fraud charges against the lawyer stayed or thrown out.
Lead attorney Hugh Wildman, while maintaining that there is no basis to charge his client and that he has already been cleared of any wrongdoing by the General Legal Council, accused the police Thursday of hatching a sinister plot to destroy Armstrong’s life.
During Thursday’s hearing, Wildman informed Parish Judge Venice Blackstock Murray of his intention to make the application.
Claiming an abuse of process, the lawyer also indicated that he would be asking the court to entertain submissions that the conspiracy to defraud and fraudulent conversion charges be tried in the Parish Court.
The judge, however, indicated that the offences were triable in the Parish Court, therefore those submissions would not be necessary.
But the clerk of the court explained that the charges were laid as committable offences because Armstrong’s co-accused is charged with committable offences and it would be hard to separate the matters.
The clerk then shared that three counts each of forgery and uttering forged documents have been laid against the accused, which would be triable in the high court.
Wildman questioned why all the charges had not been laid at once.
“What I see here is a rehashing of old things which have been discredited by the GLC. What I see here is not new material,” he said.
The clerk of the court then informed the judge that the investigator had explained that the new charges arose after further review of the case file.
Additionally, she said the investigator also shared that the charges were initially not laid because she was rushing to get the matter before the court.
But Wildman said: “I am shocked to hear that,” while describing the officer’s effort as a rush job.
“She should be impeached,” he said. “Secondly, she said on Monday the file was complete. Did she dream overnight and say she want to lay more charges? Was it a dream?”
Nonetheless, Wildman said the new charges would not affect his application and that he would be seeking to have all of them quashed.
Armstrong, who is Jamaican, was arrested Saturday on his arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport and charged with conspiracy to defraud and fraudulent conversion.
The charges reportedly stem from the sale of three properties 18 years ago in Jamaica in which Armstrong represented the complainant, who was the vendor.
Armstrong contends that the proceeds of the sale were paid over to the complainant’s father, who he had authorised to be his agent while he was incarcerated in the USA.
The complainant in the matter had reported Armstrong to the GLC.
Following a hearing, the Disciplinary Committee of the GLC in February found that Armstrong was guilty of professional misconduct for signing a document for a client who was not present. Wildman, however, has appealed the decision, and that matter is scheduled for hearing next week in the Court of Appeal.
In the meantime, in light of the new charges, the judge delayed ruling on whether Armstrong’s passport would be returned. Wildman had asked the judge to permit his client’s passport to be returned to him so that he could meet his responsibilities in Antigua
Armstrong’s $500,000 bail was extended until November 16
Attorneys-at-law Linda Wright and Althea Grant also represent Armstrong.