Defence questions extortion claims in gang trial

The prosecution in the Clansman-One Don Gang trial yesterday conceded that it had no evidence to support claims made by its two main witnesses that the criminal entity had been extorting taxi drivers, bus drivers and vendors in St Catherine.

Chief Justice Bryan Sykes raised the issue after one of the prosecutors, in responding to the no-case submission for defendant Donovan Richards, sought to convince the court that he was one of the gang's extortion collectors. The prosecutor reiterated that it was evidence of the gang's banker that the gang killed, maimed, and extorted people in Spanish Town. That same witness, he recalled, had explained to the court how the extortion money was spent. But Sykes questioned whether the ex-gangster had seen Richards in the act. He said that the term extortion was being used loosely, and questioned whether the Crown had any witnesses who had observed the alleged gangsters collecting the money.

"No one has come forward to say 'I am a taxi operator and I was coerced into paying extortion'," the judge stated. He further pointed out that the witness could only speak to his understanding of Richard's role but that there is no supporting evidence from a victim or independent witness. The prosecutor stressed that the witness had emphasised that he was a part of the extortion. But the judge said the witness will need to speak to, at the very least, conduct, in order to meet the statutory standards.

"At best, what we have is how the money comes into the coffers. This is the difference between intelligence gathering and evidence," the judge added.

During the trial, the court had heard from the two former gangsters that the gang was heavily involved in extortion and that the money was used to fund the gang's lifestyle and criminal activities. The court had also heard that businesses and construction sites were also extorted and that, on one occasion, the gang had burned down a financial institution after the owner had refused to pay.

The Crown is expected to wrap up its response to the no-case submission that was made for 24 of the remaining 28 defendants, today when the trial resumes in the Home Circuit Court.