Antigua DPP charged for fraud re-offered $500,000 bail

After being taken back into custody this morning, Antigua’s Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Armstrong, who is facing fraud-related charges about three properties, was today re-offered $500,000 bail when he appeared in the Home Circuit Court.

The Jamaica Gleaner’s Tanesha Mundle wrote in a report that Amstrong’s co-accused Shelly-Ann Peart Campbell, was also re-offered $300,000 bail.

According to the report, the two accused were granted bail by Justice Leighton Pusey after the case against them in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court was this morning discontinued via a nolle prosequi and the matter was transferred to the High Court.

Both accused are to return to court on March 22.

Pusey had objected to the media covering the hearing hence reporters were not allowed inside the courtroom.

Earlier this morning when the matter came up in the parish court, Armstrong’s lead lawyer, Hugh Wildman, protested against the move claiming his client was being deprived of his rights to have a committal hearing.

He also accused the DPP of being oppressive and arbitrary.

Complaining that the defence team was only notified of the new development, Wildman further accused the DPP of being discourteous.

Armstrong, who is Jamaican, was arrested last November on his arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport and later slapped with conspiracy and fraudulent conversion charges.

The charges reportedly stem from the sale of three properties 18 years ago in Jamaica, in which Armstrong represented the complainant, who was the vendor.

The complainant in the matter had also reported Armstrong to the General Legal Council (GLC).