Charges brought against former MLA Lyndon Martin on Wednesday were categorically denied and will be contested in their entirety, Attorney Lloyd Samson said in open court that afternoon.
He told Chief Magistrate Margaret Ramsay-Hale that Martin had done what police are asking the public to do — speak with them and provide assistance.
At the proper time, Martin will elect to be tried in Grand Court by a jury of his peers. ‘We are confident of an acquittal at that stage,’ Mr. Samson said.
Solicitor General Cheryll Richards presented 12 charges and gave a summary of the Crown’s case. Charges generally relate to the period between 11 August and 20 September 2007.
A charge of burglary alleges that Martin entered as a trespasser the private office of Cayman Net News publisher Desmond Seales with intent to steal therein.
The second charge is doing an act tending and intending to pervert the administration of public justice. Details are that Martin, by making a series of false allegations of crimes against Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Ennis, set in train the criminal investigation process against Mr. Ennis thereby exposing him to the risk of arrest, imprisonment pending trial and wrongful conviction and punishment.
There are five charges of falsely accusing another of a crime and five related charges of making a false report of the commission of an offence.
Ms Richards said Martin was number two in the organisation at Cayman Net News, where he had been employed since March 2007. He made a report initially to a member of the police force that there seemed to be a corrupt relationship between Mr. Ennis and Mr. Seales. This led to an investigation at a very high level.
Ms Richards said assertions were made orally and in writing, and detailing the ways in which Mr. Ennis had supposedly passed on information.
If those assertions had been true, they had the potential to destabilise the police force, Ms Richards told the court.
The magistrate commented that there was also the very great risk to Mr. Ennis of having his reputation destroyed.
Bail refused
Mrs. Richards objected to bail for Martin, citing the seriousness of the allegations and strength of the case.
Another objection was based on the fact that he was already on bail for allegedly committing certain immigration offences which, while different from these, did involve an element of dishonesty. Those charges are set for trial on 14 April.
Her major concern, however, related to a further development. Ms Richards said she had been advised that one of the Crown witnesses had been subjected to an unprovoked attack by a relative of the defendant and future violence had been threatened.
‘So we are concerned about interference with witnesses. We wish to ensure there are no lingering safety concerns,’ she said.
Chief Magistrate Ramsay-Hale agreed the report should be thoroughly investigated before bail was granted and then refused bail for Martin.
‘If you find the relative was acting on his own, I don’t see a barrier to bail,’ the magistrate concluded.
Mr. Samson asked that remand be to prison rather than the police station. The magistrate replied that if the police had finished with the defendant, he was to be taken to Northward Prison.
She set the matter for mention again on Thursday, 10 April.
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