The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Crown has decided to drop the four counts of extortion and one count of misconduct in public office against former Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett, The Tribune can confirm.

Attorneys for Dorsett indicated to The Tribune yesterday that the Crown has decided to dispose of counts one to four of the indictment concerning the extortion charges, as well as the ninth that concerns misconduct.

Alex Morley, an attorney in Wayne Munroe’s law firm, told The Tribune the Crown intends to devote a “singular and simplified focus” on the four bribery charges against him, outlined in counts five through eight in the indictment. Terry Archer is the Crown prosecutor with carriage of the matter.

However, Mr Munroe, QC, told The Tribune the Crown to date has not yet specified exactly when the offences it alleges Dorsett committed actually occurred. And that lack of specification, Mr Munroe has previously stated, adversely affects his client’s ability to produce an effective notice of alibi.

The matter is adjourned to April 25 for a status hearing. Supreme Court Justice Carolita Bethel is the presiding judge.

The decision by the Crown comes just weeks after the prosecution in former PLP Labour Minister Shane Gibson’s trial indicated it will take a similar course of action and only pursue the bribery charges against the former Cabinet minister.

Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskin also indicated at the time that the Office of the Attorney General has engaged a Queen’s counsel in order to “continue the objective prosecution of this matter.”

“It was determined by the Office of the Attorney General, in conjunction with Queen’s counsel and my advice, that to continue proceedings with the 18 bribery counts (inclusive of the associated conspiracies) alone, provides a simplified and singular focus on this statutory offence,” Mr Gaskin said in an earlier statement concerning Gibson.

Dorsett is charged over allegations he used his former ministerial position to solicit $120,000 in bribes from Johnathan Ash between March 1 and May 9, 2017.

The allegations concern the purported exchange of funds in connection with work done by a heavy equipment operator to move debris from the New Providence Landfill following a massive fire at the site in March 2017.

Last year however, Mr Munroe argued that according to the prosecution, the alleged acts occurred between March 1 and May 9, or a total of 70 days, but the details provided were not specific to date, time, or location. He further pointed out at the time the charges only indicated the alleged acts occurred on the island of New Providence.