Fraud proceedings against Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Armstrong continued before a Jamaica court yesterday.
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, the complainant in the case claimed that Armstrong had admitted to selling three properties behind his back and had promised he would repay him “if it’s the last thing he did”.
The claimant further alleged that US$15,450 was repaid to him by Armstrong between September 2006 and April 2007 through a third party locally.
Allegations that the three properties were sold while the complainant was incarcerated in the USA were further outlined in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday.
Reports further state that the complainant met Armstrong, a Jamaican national, through his cousin’s husband and retained him in 1999 to act as his lawyer during the land purchase of two of the properties in St Andrew and St Ann respectively.
After the completion of the land transaction, the complainant ran afoul of the law in 2003 and was incarcerated for 15 years in the US.
While in prison his relatives allegedly showed him documents indicating that his properties had been sold.
Following the complainant’s release, it is alleged that he had a telephone conversation with Armstrong in which Armstrong admitted to selling his properties and promised to repay him.
Additionally, it was alleged that Armstrong was given time by the complainant to make the payments.
The complainant alleged that after collecting partial payments in 2006 and 2007, he was unable to contact Armstrong and consequently reported the matter in 2018, as he had not authorised the lawyer or anyone else to sell the lands on his behalf.
The clerk of court told the judge that documents from the National Land Agency showed that Armstrong had dealt with the sale of the properties and that one of the purchasers gave a statement in which he alleged that Armstrong told him that he was a real estate agent and the person in charge of the property.
Armstrong was also reported to the General Legal Council, and in February the Disciplinary Committee of the Council found that he was guilty of professional misconduct for signing a document for a client who was not present.
The DPP was arrested and charged on his arrival in Jamaica earlier this month with fraudulent conversion and conspiracy to defraud. Six additional counts – three of uttering forged documents and three of forgery – were added days later.
There have been calls from some in Antigua and Barbuda, including UPP Political Leader Harold Lovell, for Armstrong to resign from his position. Senior Crown Counsel Shannon Jones-Gittens has been appointed Acting DPP in his absence.
However, Hugh Wildman, Armstrong’s attorney, contends that his client was not the person who sold the properties.
He claims the complainant’s cousin, Shelly Peart Campbell, who is charged along with Armstrong, was the one who was responsible for the sale of the properties.
Observer reached out to Wildman yesterday but he did not respond up to news time.