Fraud Squad officer said a lawyer questioned on land sale monies declined to give statement

While investigating the theft of money from a land sale, accused attorney-at-law Norman Leroy Lynch reportedly told police “I had the money but I don’t know where it gone.”

That evidence was disclosed on Tuesday by lead investigator Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mark White when Lynch’s theft and money laundering trial continued before the No. 2 Supreme Court.

However, Lynch’s legal team, led by defence counsel Marlon Gordon objected to all statements that the police alleged the accused made on the grounds that they “were never made”.

But presiding Justice Randall Worrell told the defence that the statements will be a matter of fact for the nine jurors hearing the case to determine.

Lynch is charged with stealing $50 000 belonging to the estate of Arthur O’Neal Thomas between August 18, 2005 and December 21, 2008,.

He is also charged with stealing $407 634, the proceeds of a FirstCaribbean International Bank cheque made payable to Leroy Lynch and belonging to Thomas’ estate. This reportedly occurred between June 22, 2007 and December 21, 2008.

Further, the lawyer is accused of money laundering in that he disposed of $457 634, being the proceeds of crime, also between August 18, 2005 and December 21, 2008.

Acting ASP White told the court that he was attached to the Fraud Squad when he launched a probe following a report which led to Lynch being charged with offences.

He disclosed that on March 10, 2011 he and other police officers went on duty to Lynch’s St Michael residence. On arrival there, he said, he told the accused in the presence of another officer, about his investigations into a report made by Erwin Thomas. Thomas, White told the accused, had reported that between August 8, 2005 and December 21, 2008 attorney-at-law Leroy Lynch stole $457 634 the proceeds of two cheques belonging to him.

Lynch, he said, replied “I know about it. I don’t want this in my life right now.”

The officer said he asked Lynch to accompany police to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), where further investigations would be carried out and he did so voluntarily.

At the department the acting ASP said when he told Lynch that he was continuing the investigations the accused responded, “I had the money but I don’t know where it gone.”

Lynch was afforded his rights to a legal counsel.

The following day White told the accused that his investigations were continuing into Thomas’ report and questioned him on whether he had a file about the sale of land to which he said “yes”. When asked to hand it over Lynch told police that the file was either at home or in “an old building” at Bank Hall. “I will show you.”

The officer accompanied Lynch to the building, searched through the files and a deposit book was discovered but no file in relation to the sale of property belonging to Thomas was located.

They returned to CID and Lynch was asked whether he would give a statement on the matter where Thomas reported that he stole money relating to the sale of four acres of land at Hopeland, St George. Lynch declined.

A number questions were then posed, the officer said, and Lynch admitted that knew the late Arthur Thomas “very, very well”.

When asked if he had received $50 000 as a ten per cent deposit for the sale of Thomas’ Land, Lynch replied, “It could be possible but as I said not being difficult, I don’t remember.”

Asked whether he received a cheque from Thompson and Associates for $407 634, as final payment for the sale of Thomas’ land, Lynch replied “I don’t recall.”

He was shown the cheque made payable to him for the amount and said, “I see it, a cheque given to me but to say I remember it, is impossible.”

During the questioning he was told of the crime of money laundering in that he disposed of $457 634 and Lynch said, “I ain’t launder no money. I help a lot of people who were in need.”

He was eventually charged.

Under cross examination by Gordon, acting ASP White was adamant that he “did not” fabricate the answers to the questions he asked Lynch.