For the second time this year, the Cayman Compass has been ordered not to report details revealed in a civil lawsuit filed against the government that involves the troubled Nation Building Fund of the former United Democratic Party administration.
Unlike a previous court order issued in April, Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn’s ruling Thursday prevented all forms of media, including online social media sites and radio talk shows, from reporting court testimony in a lawsuit filed by Sandra Catron which seeks to reclaim money the Newlands woman claims she is owed from the fund.
“It is hereby ordered that there be a ban on publication or broadcasting (including but not limited to print, electronic/digital and radio) of the evidence or proceedings at this civil trial of the court in these proceedings until after the conclusion of the related criminal proceedings against Ms. Catron,” the magistrate’s order read.
A previous ruling against public reporting of case details by Magistrate Grace Donalds in April appeared only to apply to the Compass, as details of the case appeared in another newspaper a few days after a court hearing. Ms. Catron also openly discussed details of the matter on her Facebook page.
The lawsuit, according to previously filed court records, seeks to recover $13,400 Ms. Catron said she is owed for teaching another paralegal course on behalf of the government that was again paid out of the Nation Building Fund.
According to government expenditure records and statements made by Ms. Catron relative to the criminal case, she has already been paid more than $50,000 for the teaching of that course to about 30 students, all of whom were sponsored by the Nation Building Fund between 2011 and 2012.
Ms. Catron is due to appear in court Oct. 9 for a preliminary inquiry into allegations that she passed forged documents to government officials that purported to be certificates for an on-line paralegal instruction course she was teaching. She has denied all criminal allegations in relation to the case.
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