CONVICTED attorney Vincent Nelson, KC, will benefit from yet another deferral of the payment of fines by the Judiciary.
In March 2020, Nelson was sentenced by Justice Malcolm Holdip and ordered to pay $2.25 million in fines, nine months after he pleaded guilty to his role in an alleged conspiracy involving a series of financial transactions, and alleged rewards involving legal fees paid to him for representation in state briefs.
For the conspiracy to commit an act of corruption, Nelson was fined $250,000 and given two months, starting at the end of April 2020, in which to pay or serve three years imprisonment with hard labour.
On the money-laundering charge, he was fined $2 million – to be paid in ten instalments – or five years imprisonment with hard labour. Nelson was also put on a $250,000 bond for three years, as Holdip agreed to no jail time for him.
In June 2020, in response to questions from Newsday, the Judiciary referred to the emergency practice directions issued at that time, by the Chief Justice.
Nelson has not paid any of the fines and has since filed a civil lawsuit against the State for $96 million for loss of earnings, after he was expelled from a prestigious UK firm; loss of insurance benefits; the $2.5 million fine he was ordered to pay when he pleaded guilty; and additional sums if the UK authorities make demands on him for alleged unpaid taxes.
He has also written the DPP asking that his conviction and sentence be set aside.
In the latest practice direction, gazetted on Friday, the deadline for the payment of all fines including mask fines and court-ordered fines, except maintenance, has been deferred to July 31. The previous deadline was April 30 as set out in similar practice direction in February.
Also extended was the deadline for payment of traffic tickets received before May 26, 2020.
The practice directions said the extensions are to “facilitate the ease of access to a range of payment options, including cash alternatives.”
The notice advised that anyone can pay public health penalties and fines by credit card or Visa-enabled debit cards from any internet-enabled device using its CourtPay system found on the Judiciary’s website.
The deadline for all fines, not only mask fines, and compensation, which were due between March 16, 2020-May 1, 2023, is also July 31.
Dates for court hearings for mask violations from September 5, 2020-July 31 2023, where fines are not paid, will be published on the Judiciary’s website and in a national newspaper by July 15.
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