(CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS)- The November Criminal Assizes in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Nevis Circuit concluded on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
There were seven (7) matters slated to be heard during that sitting of the court. However, four (4) of those matters were traversed until the April 2015 assizes. These included two (2) unlawful carnal knowledge matters, the lone murder case; and the case involving Attorney Geoffery Romany.
When Mr. Romany spoke from the docket during the assizes, he was assured by Her Ladyship Justice Lorraine Williams that his case will go to trial in April 2015.
Justice Lorraine Williams traversed Romany’s case to April 2015 Criminal Assizes in Nevis, after the defendant’s Attorney, Dr. Henry Browne Q.C. was a ‘no show’.
Dr. Browne was not present in court this past Thursday when the matter was called up, and as a result of him being absent the learned Judge had no other choice but to traverse the matter until April 2015.
When Justice Williams inquired about bail, Romany indicated that he was unable to meet the bail conditions set by the previous Judge. He also claimed that other factors discredited two of his three sureties from standing on his behalf.
“I have already spent 2 years and 8 months in prison, I can wait until April”, he said.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecution was represented by Crown Counsel Giovanni James. James told Justice Williams of other pending charges that Romany could possibly face. James indicated that those matters were still at the stage of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) at the Magistrate’s Court.
Upon hearing that piece of information, Justice Williams rebutted, “Whatever matters are before the Magistrate Court is your business but these matters before me are going for over two (2) years and in April 2015 these matters will go to trial”.
Romany stands charged with two counts of fraudulent conversion and money laundering. Details of the charges indicate that sometime between September 1, 2010 and September 20, 2011 at Charlestown, having received to an account U.S. $25,000.00 belonging to Roger Tosse, Romany allegedly spent the money for his own personal use. Additionally, between April 2, 2008 and April 10, 2012 at Charlestown, having received U.S. $161,598.00 belonging to Vector Gardner, Romany is also accused of using this money for his own personal use.
The alleged money laundering is said to have been committed sometime between April 02, 2008 and April 10, 2012.