Kern Spencer Released

Today the nation was shocked to hear that justice Pusey had ruled that former junior minister Kern Spencer had no case to answer in the Cuban Light Bulb scandal and released him.

This is the most scandalous ruling I can recall ever hearing  in the history of the corrupt Jamaican justice system  but I can't say I WAS PARTICULARLY SURPRISED  as I had bet an attorney that this would have been the outcome, considering the clear dislike the judge had  displayed for the director of public Prosecutions and the most unusual steps she took to get her off the case and show her who was boss!

Interestingly, recent polls  have shown that some 6% of Jamaicans have admitted to bribing judges. I wonder  are the judges that they bribed??

History

Spencer, the member of parliament for North East St Elizabeth, is accused of acting improperly when, as state minister in the energy ministry, under the People's National Party Govern-ment, he exercised control over the distribution of free energy-saving light bulbs given to Jamaica by the government of Cuba.

The project had cost $276 million to be implemented but the contractor general and the police later found a number of suspected irregularities in the awarding of contracts.

The Jamaican Government was required to meet the cost of clearance, storage and delivery of the bulbs, as well as the transportation and accommodation of 300 Cuban volunteers to install the bulbs.
Contractor General Greg Christie, who conducted a probe into the project, said Spencer had hand-picked Universal Management and Development Company Ltd (UMD) to undertake the distribution of the bulbs. UMD was incorporated just about the time the delivery of the bulbs commenced in 2006.
Businessman Rodney Chin is the chief shareholder and director in UMD, as well as Caribbean Communication Media Network Ltd., which the Government paid more than $3.3 million under the project.

Sherine Shakes, who was the project manager at UMD, is the mother of one of Spencer's children. Shakes' mother, Verdie Mair, was also involved in the project. She is listed as company secretary for UMD. The contractor general has said she was also paid for catering services under the project.