QC a no-show in court for plea-bargain hearing

British Queen’s Counsel Vincent Nelson was a no-show at his first plea agreement hearing in the High Court this afternoon.

Nelson is expected to plead guilty to three charges of conspiring to commit money laundering, misbehaviour in public office and conspiracy to commit an act of corruption, but his attorney Keith Scotland told Justice Malcolm Holdip his attorneys only received notice of today's hearing on May 13 and were unsuccessful in arranging to have him in Trinidad for the case.

“Due to the shortness of notice, and for health reasons, he is unable to appear today, May 16, 2019,” Scotland told the judge, as he sought permission for Nelson to appear through him.

Scotland also said notice of Nelson’s absence was made known to the Director of Public Prosecutions by letter as well as the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

DPP Roger Gaspard, SC, said having regard to when the notice for the hearing was given, it would be unreasonable for him to object to Nelson’s absence “especially bearing in mind he resides abroad.”

He said the plea agreement hearing could not take place in the absence of the accused.

The matter has been adjourned to June 4, when Nelson is expected formally to plead guilty to his role in an alleged conspiracy with former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and former UNC senator Gerald Ramdeen in connection with a series of financial transactions and alleged rewards involving legal fees paid to him for representation in state briefs, which he obtained while Ramlogan was attorney general.

Nelson first appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates' Court on May 2, on the three charges, and the next day Ramlogan and Ramdeen were charged on similar charges relating to the alleged legal fees kickback conspiracy.

They are on $1.2 million and $1.5 million bail respectively and will return to court for a case management hearing on June 28.

The two were jointly charged with conspiracy to contravene section three of the Prevention of Corruption Act; conspiracy to contravene section 45 of the act; and conspiracy to misbehave in public office.