Ruling on Application to Dismiss Case Against Dalrymple-Philibert Postponed

Parish Court judge, Justice Leighton Morris, was expected to rule on Friday on whether charges against South Trelawny Member of Parliament, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert are to be thrown out or if the matter will proceed.

However, the matter has been postponed to December 13 due to a bomb threat which affected courts across the corporate area on Thursday.

Dalrymple-Philibert is accused by the Integrity Commission of making false statements in her statutory declarations for the period 2015 to 2021.

At the last court sitting in October, her attorney, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie made the application for the case to be dismissed on the basis that there were procedural errors that led to the charges being laid. 

Dalrymple-Philibert resigned as Speaker of the House and member of parliament for South Trelawny last September, following a report from the Integrity Commission recommending that charges be laid against her for making false declarations about her ownership of a Mercedes Benz motor vehicle.

After making further checks, Dalrymple-Philibert admitted ownership of the vehicle and said the omission was an oversight.

KC Champagnie argued that the charges are misplaced and constitute an abuse of process. 

However, the prosecutor in the matter maintained that proper procedures were followed in arriving at the charges. The prosecutor submitted that the abuse of process application is improperly brought and baseless.

Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert returned as the MP for South Trelawny following a by-election win on November 22.