Opposition senator faces six years, if convicted of perjury
Opposition senator and former candidate of the New Democratic Party (NDP), attorney Vynnette Frederick, will have her day in court on January 25, when she will answer to three counts of perjury.{{more}}
The embattled lawyer has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which state that on January 10, 2011, at Kingstown, the senator made âa false declaration before Sonya Young, Chief Magistrate, a person authorised to take a declaration upon a matter of public concern, under circumstances, that a false declaration, if committed in a judicial proceeding would have amounted to perjury contrary to section 96 of the criminal codeâ.
The other two charges also state that Frederick made similar false declarations, before Fay James, on June 16, 2011 and May 23, 2012.
The matter was scheduled to commence on November 16, 2012, but the Kingstown Magistrateâs Court could not sit at the time and the matter was pushed back to November 23, 2012.
However, the matter was again adjourned.
The charges stem from a judgement handed down by the OECS Court of Appeal on May 31, 2012, which stated that Frederick intentionally gave evidence which was untrue, in a complaint she brought against Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, following the 2010 general elections.
In Frederickâs complaints against Gonsalves, which were made under Section 51, Subsection 3 of the Representation of the People Act, related to comments allegedly made by Gonsalves at a public meeting of the Unity Labour Party at Park Hill on August 29, 2010.
If convicted, Frederick faces up to six years in prison on the three charges.(KW)
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