Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

North East St Elizabeth Member of Parliament Kern Spencer (centre) makes his way from the courtyard of the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court. Deborah Martin (front), one of Spencer's attorneys, and Patrick Roberts, People's National Party candidate for West Central St Andrew, accompany him.

Former junior government minister Kern Spencer and his co-accused in the Cuban light-bulb affair will have to wait another month and a half to hear the prosecution lay its case against them before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

LEGAL COUNSEL representing Kern Spencer and his co-accused are complaining they are in the dark on accusations levelled against their clients, who have been charged in the Cuban light-bulb affair.

Patrick Atkinson, who is representing Spencer, told the court yesterday that the defence was not comfortable about the way the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been handling the case.

"It is one month and one day since they (the accused) have been charged and to date we have not got even one copy of the charges," Atkinson said.

He added: "Not even a half a statement and now we are hearing that my learned friend needs another six weeks ... what are we, the defence, to do in this six weeks, sit back and rely on the newspaper to keep us informed?"

Spencer, the embattled People's National Party Member of Parliament for North East St Elizabeth, and his co-accused yesterday had their bail extended until May 16 when they appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

DPP takes charge

Recently appointed DPP Paula Llewellyn has taken control of the case involving Spencer, Rodney Chin and Coleen Wright.

When the matter came up for mention, Llewellyn told Resident Magistrate Glenn Brown that the Crown was requesting another mention date, as not all the documents related to the case had as yet been sorted out.

"The material is very voluminous and we have to be very detailed," the DPP told the Court in providing justification for a request for another mention date.

Spencer and his co-accused were arrested on February 25 as criminal investigations intensified in the Cuban light-bulb scandal.

A strident Atkinson proceeded to question whether the case file had any statements in it thus far, but was met with a broad bat from Llewellyn who said the DPP is "treating this matter in the same way she would treat any other case".

Coleen Wright, an accused in the Cuban light-bulb scandal, in a pensive mood outside the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn makes her way from the Half-Way Tree courthouse.