Claimant’s Attorney Unimpressed with Staine’s Defense

Julie-Ann Ellis Bradley

As we told you earlier, today attorney Ernest Staine appeared unconcerned by the very real threat of prison time. Until just days ago, he had failed to obey orders of the Court to disclose his assets, and he has still not paid a cent to the claimants despite repeated commitments that he would do so. Today his defence counsel, appointed at the last minute at the urging of the Bar Association, told the Court that Staine does not grasp the seriousness and gravity of the situation with which he is faced. Senior Counsel Barrow went so far as to tell the Court that Staine does not appear to have a real grasp of reality. Attorney for the claimants Julie-Ann Ellis Bradley wasn’t impressed with that defence. She says that he doesn’t need to grasp reality – he just needs to pay back the money he stole.

Julie-Ann Ellis Bradley, Attorney for Claimant

“I would want to reserve comment on that, because I believe that the matters that we are dealing with have very little to do with a grasp of reality and more to do with accountability. I don’t think the dissipation…I think plainly it’s stealing in terms of money. With respect to the disclosure order and what you have and if you are aware of what you have and how much it’s valued…that to me is very, it’s inconsequential with respect to the matters we are dealing with. The matter is whether you received the money, whether you spent the money, whether you did not put the money where you were supposed to put it and whether you didn’t pay over the money…those are more important to me. I think that regardless of Mr. Staine’s state of mind, that cannot be an excuse or any sort of answer to what really is my concern at this point…which is the funds that were held by Mr. Staine and…if we are to use plain language based on taking the information in the bank account as conclusive, then those monies were stolen.”