Former junior minister trial to resume in September
After years of delays and legal roadblocks, the corruption trial involving former junior minister, Kern spencer and his co-accused Coleen Wright is expected to resume in 4 months.
Spencer and Wright are facing charges of corruption and money laundering in relation to the Cuban Light Bulb distribution project.
The trial began in February 2008, and at least 3 witnesses had already testified, when the trial came to a screeching halt in March 2010.
This was the start of the legal row between Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey and DPP Paula Llewellyn.
The row stemmed from a request from the defence that Ms. Llewellyn provide information she got from former co-accused, turned state witness Rodney Chin.
Senior RM Pusey had subpoenaed the DPP to appear as a witness in the Cuban light bulb case.
But, Llewellyn, who maintained that as chief prosecutor, she cannot be called as a witness, sought a judicial review in the matter.
The corruption trial was put on hold, until the legal battle between Pusey and Llewellyn was settled.
That resolution came when the Judicial Review Court ruled in favour of DPP Llewellyn.
However, Senior RM Pusey took the matter to the Appeal Court seeking to overturn the judicial courts ruling.
This caused another lengthy delay in the corruption trial.
In April this year, Senior RM Pusey lost again, after the Court of Appeal upheld the judicial courts ruling that Pusey cannot order the DPP to appear as a witness in the Cuban light bulb trial.
When the matter was called up in the Corporate Area RM Court today (May 20), the defence and prosecution agreed on a set date for the resumption of the corruption trial.
The case is to resume on Tuesday, September 3, and run for about six weeks.
Spencer and Wright had their bails extended until the September court date.
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