Following the news that Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Anthony Armstrong has been charged in Jamaica, sources in the Ministry of Legal Affairs have disclosed that Senior Crown Counsel Shannon Jones-Gittens is expected to take over the position of DPP in the interim.
Jones-Gittens has been a practicing attorney for many years and is the daughter of veteran Barbudan politician Senator Fabian Jones.
To make the position official, she must first be formally approved by the Governor General upon recommendation from the Judicial Legal Services Commission.
This is according to Section 87 of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda.
Meanwhile, Armstrong’s legal battles are far from over as ministry sources also confirmed that he was placed on station bail in Jamaica after he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Monday.
Armstrong was arrested at the Norman Manley International Airport after travelling to his homeland over the weekend following Interpol’s issuance of a red notice for him. He was later charged with conspiracy and fraudulent conversion.
Legal Affairs Minister Steadroy Benjamin said last week that a red notice was issued by Interpol for the arrest of the DPP on October 31, but withdrawn a day later as the matter was being dealt with locally in Jamaica.
A red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, Armstrong’s passport was confiscated and he was released on $500,000 bail with surety. He is being represented by attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman.
The DPP will answer the criminal charges on November 16, when the trial begins.
Armstrong was previously found guilty of professional misconduct by Jamaica’s legal disciplinary body – the General Legal Council – for signing a document on behalf of a client who was not physically present.
A man named Michael Adams, who brought the accusations against Armstrong, said that Armstrong had represented him in the purchase of three properties between 1999 and 2002, while Adams was living in the US.
Adams said he often paid Armstrong in cash for his legal services when he visited Jamaica. However, in 2003, Adams was imprisoned in the US.
Twelve months later, Adams reportedly inquired about the properties and discovered that all three had been transferred and sold, allegedly without his consent.
A sale document for at least one of the properties apparently had Adams’ signature affixed to it. The document also indicated that Armstrong had witnessed the signing.
While the council was not satisfied that the properties were sold without Adams’ consent, they reprimanded the attorney for signing as a witness knowing that Adams, who was in prison in the US at the time, was not present.
The council described the attorney’s actions as being “the height of recklessness” and a move that could discredit the legal profession.
After spending three months out of office on “special leave”, the DPP resumed his regular duties in Antigua on May 8 despite concerns from some.
Observer has repeatedly approached Armstrong for a comment on the latest developments, but to no avail.