MONTEGO BAY, St James — The trial of former acting Resident Magistrate Dionne Meyler-Reid, who is charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, was Monday postponed until March 3 when the accused appeared in the Western Region Gun Court here in Montego Bay.

The matter was initially stood down by the judge, after the court was told by the prosecution that they were not ready to proceed with the case. On the resumption, the new trial date was set after it was revealed that there was an older matter before the court.

Michael Erskine, one of the attorneys representing Meyler-Reid, told the Jamaica Observer that the defence was ready to proceed with the case. He said no specific reason was stated as to why the Crown was not ready to proceed.

“They were saying that there was some process that they did not complete and there are some things that they wanted to look over. The specific reason was not stated. I just got the impression that they were not ready. The Crown did not put their case together properly, so therefore they did not want to start this matter. They are also saying that their records did not have it (the case) down as priority, but in fact our recollection is that it was down as priority,” said the attorney.

He added that his client is innocent and was framed.

Meyler-Reid is charged jointly with Toni-Ann Turner, a law student; Radcliffe Campbell and Tedisha Blair, who were arrested by members of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption (MOCA) Task Force on September 2 last year after the former resident magistrate’s offices in Savanna-la-Mar were searched and an illegal firearm and ammunition allegedly found by the lawmen.

The police also claimed that they found several documents which are believed to be used in the lottery scam.

— Anthony Lewis