MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The forfeiture hearing for Sanja Elliott and his four co-accused who were sentenced on July 27 for multimillion-dollar fraud at the Manchester Municipal Corporation, has been postponed for the third time.

The hearing which was brought forward to yesterday after being initially set for today, has now been delayed to July 2021 in the Manchester Circuit Court.

Norman Godrey, who is the attorney representing Elliott and his wife TashaGaye as well as carpenter/gardener Dwayne Sibbles, told OBSERVER ONLINE that there are matters outstanding.

“There were some orders made as to timelines for things to be done before we get to the hearing in July,” Godfrey said by telephone.

Checks made by OBSERVER ONLINE with the court’s office revealed that the hearing is set for July 12 to 30, next year.

The matter which was first called up on September 16 was initially postponed to October 1.

The Financial Investigations Division (FID) is seeking to forfeit assets of the convicts based on the Proceeds of Crime Act which defines a criminal lifestyle, following what is considered to be the largest fraud case of a municipal authority in Jamaica.

Former temporary works overseer Kendale Roberts is being represented by attorney-at-law Samoi Campbell. 

Elliott, who is now serving five years’ imprisonment was described as the ‘ringmaster’ in the fraud case.

Elliott’s wife got a non-custodial sentence.

His co-accused, former secretary manager and acting CEO of the municipal corporation, David Harris, is serving 16 months in prison at hard labour; Kendale Roberts is serving 18 months at hard labour; Dwayne Sibbles is serving 12 months’ imprisonment at hard labour on the count of conspiracy to defraud; and TashaGaye had been fined $3 million.

All five were initially convicted on May 15.

The closely watched 11-month fraud trial has triggered widespread debate about the confines of the law in dealing with corruption.

Those freed at the end of the lengthy trial were Sanja Elliott’s mother and father, Myrtle and Edwardo Elliott, and former commercial bank teller Radcliffe McLean.

Kasey Williams