Accused freed in Clifton land fraud case

Accused in the Clifton land fraud case, Suelyn Ward-Brown, has been freed of one count of fraudulent conversion after presiding judge Roneiph Lawrence ordered the matter dismissed for want of prosecution in the St Catherine Parish Court.

When the matter came up on Thursday, the Clerk of Court told the court that one complainant had alleged that he sent $2.4 million to an account belonging to Ward-Brown.

However, after reviewing the remitted documents, Lawrence said it was revealed that there was no new evidence and that the matter being pursued had already been dealt with.

Ward-Brown was then informed that she was free to go.

“Having heard the history of the matter and realised that there could not be a viable prosecution without bringing double jeopardy into question,” Lawrence said.

He said there was nothing new in the case, as Ward-Brown would have been tried on a count that had already been dismissed in the High Court.

Attorneys-at-law Deborah Martin and Kelly Hamilton, who represented Ward-Brown throughout the proceedings, endorsed the decision.

“We are pleased that my client can get on with her life in a productive way. The matter affected her adversely as a teacher and a parent. This is justice, as the last four years have been challenging,” Martin told The Gleaner.

Ward-Brown's appearance in court arose from a 2022 case in Clifton District, St Catherine, in which she was accused of issuing invoices to collect money from nine complainants for the sale of plots of land.

Following a police investigation, Ward-Brown was charged with nine counts of fraudulent conversion.

The matter was transferred to the St Catherine Circuit Court in 2023, and in December 2024, the charges against her were dismissed.

The case was subsequently remitted to the lower court to determine whether there was any case to answer.

Ward-Brown made numerous court appearances throughout the proceedings and maintained her innocence.

- Rasbert Turner

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