The fate of Anthony Armstrong as the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions still hangs in the balance as he continues to fight his legal battles in Jamaica.
This is according to Information Minister Melford Nicholas who revealed yesterday during the post-Cabinet press briefing that government is still awaiting a decision from the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) based in St Lucia.
“Once they have looked at this matter, they may make a determination that he may be suitable to hold the position, so we are awaiting the outcome of that deliberation in this point in time,” Nicholas said.
The JLSC is the institution under the Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Order – Section 87— which is tasked with exercising disciplinary control over legal officers within its jurisdiction.
Armstrong, who is a native of Jamaica, was arrested earlier this month on charges relating to his involvement in the questionable sale of three properties owned by a former client approximately 20 years ago. He is facing a string of fraud charges.
Since news of his current legal battles broke, calls for Armstrong to resign from the DPP post have been made, the most recent coming from the leader of the main opposition party, Harold Lovell.
Senior Crown Counsel Shannon Jones-Gittens — who has been practicing law for more than 12 years – is currently filling the spot as the Acting DPP.
Whether or not her position will be made permanent is still left to be seen.
Meanwhile, fraud proceedings against Armstrong continued before a Jamaica court on Wednesday.
Hugh Wildman, Armstrong’s attorney, contends that his client was not the person who sold the properties.
Wildman urged the court to immediately stay the charges contending that the police’s own handwriting expert has vindicated his client.
Wildman said on Wednesday that the handwriting expert in a statement had fingered the complainant’s cousin, Shelley Peart-Campbell, who is Armstrong’s co-accused, as the person whose handwriting appears on the transfer documents for the three properties Armstrong is accused of selling.
Armstrong will next appear in court on December 5.