Senator to answer six perjury charges tomorrow

Senator Vynnette Frederick will answer to six charges relating to perjury and false swearing, when she appears at the Mesopotamia Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, Wednesday.{{more}}

The matter, which was supposed to have been heard at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, was transferred to Mesopotamia, after newly appointed magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias recused herself from hearing the matters, citing familiarity.

After being charged with three counts of perjury in September 2012, Frederick, 36, was slapped with three more charges on February 15, 2013. She was charged with “falsely swearing before Ms Faye James, a person authorised to administer the oath”, at Kingstown on January 1, 2011 and May 23, 2012.

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.

Frederick’s complaints against the Prime Minister related to comments she alleged Gonsalves made at a public meeting of the Unity Labour Party at Park Hill on August 29, 2010.(KW)