UPDATE: Four co-accused sentenced in Manchester fraud trial
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The four co-accused in the Manchester Municipal Corporation fraud trial were all sentenced a short while ago by Senior Parish Court Judge Ann-Marie Grainger.
Former secretary manager and acting CEO David Harris was sentenced to a total of 16 months at hard labour.
Former temporary works overseer Kendale Roberts was sentenced to a total of 18 months at hard labour.
Carpenter/gardener Dwayne Sibbles was sentenced to a total of 12 months imprisonment at hard labour.
Meanwhile, TashaGaye Goulbourne Elliott, wife of Sanja Elliott, was given a non custodial sentence, and fined a total of $3 million.
“$1.5 million on each count or six months’ imprisonment,” said Grainger. “If the fines are not paid, the sentence is to be consecutive.”
Prior to their sentencing, former deputy superintendent of roads and works Sanja Elliott was sentenced to a total of five years imprisonment at hard labour.
Grainger said Elliott is considered the ‘ring master’ in the multi-million dollar defrauding of the corporation.
The three former employees of the Manchester Municipal Corporation and two co-accused were convicted on May 15.
Elliot, Harris and Sibbles were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the local government authority. They were also found guilty of breaching the country’s Corruption Prevention Act.
Goulbourne Elliott was also found guilty of facilitating the retention of criminal property.
The Crown said that between 2013 and 2016, the Manchester Municipal Corporation was fleeced of public funds amounting to $400 million in a conspiracy involving the individuals who were found guilty.
Kasey Williams
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