MONTEGO BAY, St James — Justice hit a linguistic roadblock in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday, when a bribery case against two non-English-speaking men was briefly stalled due to the absence of an interpreter.

Ying Lu, facing charges of bribery, aiding and abetting driving without insurance, and aiding and abetting driving without a licence, and his co-accused, Dengzheng Lu, charged with driving without motor vehicle insurance, failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing, and driving without a licence, were left waiting in court as the matter could not proceed.

Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton confirmed that both defendants required interpretation services, which were unavailable at the time. As a result, the case has been adjourned to February 23, with the expectation that an interpreter will be present. The defendants’ bail has been extended to that date.

The charges stem from an October 8, 2025 incident that occurred around 1:19 pm. A grey Toyota Voxy was reportedly stopped on a pedestrian crossing, obstructing pedestrians. Authorities allege that Dengzheng Lu, the driver, exited the vehicle to unload luggage while passenger Ying Lu remained nearby. When officers requested identification, Ying Lu allegedly handed over a Jamaican driver’s licence and a Chinese passport with a $5,000 note tucked inside. The driver reportedly admitted he did not have a licence on hand, claiming he had only been asked to pick up the passenger.

Under caution, he is alleged to have stated, “Other officers would have taken it and just left me.”