Cornelius John, who was shot at his home on April 13, then charged with threatening a government senator, was “lynched twice” says Daniel Cummings, chairman of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP).
Karim Nelson, an assistant director of public Prosecution, and government senator Ashelle Morgan, a lawyer, were this month acquitted on charges related to the shooting.
“And I heard people who have legal training say that justice was not served. In my humble opinion, that is putting it mildly. Cornelius John was lynched twice, in my humble opinion. He was lynched in his home and he was lynched in the court system,” Cummings, who is also MP for West Kingstown, said on his party’s radio programme, New Times, on NICE Radio, on Tuesday.
Morgan and Nelson were freed after Magistrate Bertie Pompey upheld no case submissions by their lawyers, after six days of hearing evidence.
The prosecutor, S. Stephen Brette, deputy director of public prosecution in St. Lucia, who was specially contracted to prosecute the case, failed to adduce evidence placing Nelson at the scene of the shooting.
The court found that John was not a credible witness and disbelieved his evidence and ruled that a case had not been made out against Morgan, who is also deputy speaker of the House of Assembly.
Cummings said that what transpired in the trail was a “serious miscarriage of justice”.
“I cannot imagine a case more dramatically wrongly pursued than this particular one. I wish to thank iWitness News for enlightening St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the world about how justice is dispensed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said.
Cummings asked why a local lawyer was not put alongside Brette to prosecute the case.
“When a person comes into the jurisdiction — again, I am not a lawyer, but I have matters before the court and I have experience where you have an outside lawyer and you have local lawyers working with them.
“And that’s a very important bridging gap to play, to acquaint the outside lawyers with a number of things germane to the local court environment.
“Why did the DPP recuse herself from this matter and then is apparently available to show up for the prosecution of Cornelius John?”
John was charged with using threatening language against Morgan, but last Friday, the investigating officer, detective Corporal Henry Hoyte told the court that Morgan had told him that she had no further interest in the matter.
The charge against John was, therefore, dismissed.
Cummings said:
“I am asking these questions. I am lost. It just doesn’t make sense to me that justice is being served in this country. And I submit that Cornelius John, in my opinion, was lynched in his home and he was lynched in the justice system.
“And, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he is a supporter of the ULP, tooth and nail, and if they can do that to him, ask yourself what they wouldn’t do to you. May God bless us. May God save St. Vincent and Grenadines from this demonic situation; because it is, indeed, plagued with demons of many kinds.
Both Nelson and Morgan were found not guilty in the court of law. Even legal expert questioned the manner in which the case was presented. The way in which the evidence was presented was flawed that the outcome was always predictible. The prosecutor’s strategy was found wanting in the first place and reflected very pooly on him. His competence as a prosecutor was called into question and wondered why he was choosen in the first place for lack of better words. The public is bound to remember her should she ever planned to take a political baptism. It will be their karma, it also tells alot about Mr Nelson as a selfserving maid who will served his master at any cost. A reasonable prudent man knows what was his payoff. The mighty Sparrow once sang a Calypso on it. Mr John lost in the court of law so also were his perpetrators. The arrogrance of his defence team was sickening at best and borders on total disregard for the laws of natural justiceband procedural fairness.
Well mr. Cunnings, with all due respect. We all knew the outcome in advance. The fact remains that John was shot on his property by people acting in cahoots. The magistrate conveniently brushed off admitting any evidence that the trespassing criminal trio knowingly and deliberately carried out their lawless intents. Normally a person or person who do this kind of thing goes to prison. Here those involved did not even get a formal reprimand. It looks like as far as the judiciary is concerned it never happened because no one was held accountable to boot. He was even bragging that an unknown person shot John despite depositions to the contrary. The Minister of everything almost certainly had a say in that.
KARMA is waiting for the LYNCH MOB and the corrupt system.Time is longer than rope.
Should we consider bringing back village courts and administering village punishment?
The judge was gleeful to accept the case subission.