No connection between Kim Brown Lawrence and Brown’s Town Community College, says fraud trial witness

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Principal of Brown’s Town Community College, Claudeth Haughton testified Wednesday that the school had never hired or had any formal relationship with Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor Kim Brown Lawrence. Haughton was called by the prosecution at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court to give evidence in the $25 million fraud case of Brown-Lawrence, former Education Minister Ruel Reid, former head of the Caribbean Maritime University Fritz Pinnock and Reid’s wife and daughter, Sharen and Sharelle Reid. Haughton shared information on the operations of the school, with the prosecution focusing specifically on whether lunches were provided for certain students engaged in the nine-month-long Customer Engagement Operation Training programme. The principal, who has served in the capacity for 11 years, since 2015, addressed the period of time from 2017 to 2019. The prosecution asked a series of questions, including whether during the period the school offered the course alongside a Joseph Martin, or engaged him to provide meals. The prosecution also asked if Kim Brown Lawrence, who is the councillor for the Brown’s Town Division, was engaged to provide meals for the Brown’s Town Community College students, in general or those enrolled in the programme, to which the witness repeatedly responded “No.” She added, “We do not provide meals for students”. When asked by Justice Sanchia Burrell if this meant the school did not undertake the expense, Haughton responded, “Yes, your honour.” The prosecution also asked how students would have obtained meals, to which she responded that students were at liberty to purchase meals from a restaurateur which she identified as operated by a Carol Brown, who rented the canteen on the college’s main campus in Brown’s Town to provide meals to students, staff and visitors. Similarly, the witness was asked if the school had ever engaged Optimum Customer Service Consultancy in the Customer Engagement Operation Training programme to which she responded it had not. While she indicated she knew Kim Brown Lawrence, who was introduced to her only as 'Kim' on one other occasion, Haughton indicated that neither she nor any of the other two parties mentioned during questioning by the prosecution, had been contracted by the school for any reason during the period. Haughton admitted that there were certain occasions where food would be provided for students, such as honour roll events, and that the restaurateur on campus would've been contracted during that period to prepare refreshments. During cross examination, Brown Lawrence’s attorney Senior Smith asked whether it was the principal's impression, based on questions asked by the prosecution, that his client had said she was a supplier of food for Brown’s Town Community College or its students, to which an objection was raised by the prosecution. Burrell allowed the question to be posed, and the witness indicated she had not formed any impression based on the questions. Haughton told Senior Smith that while she was familiar with Brown’s Town in general and Brown’s Plaza, she was not familiar with any restaurants operated by Kim Brown Lawrence and her husband at said plaza. She also said that the college has allowed in the past both major political parties to host events, but indicated that any catering done would have been handled by the parties themselves. Under further cross-examination by Senior Smith on whether Kim Brown Lawrence had used the premises of the college for a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) divisional meeting in early 2018, Haughton said “I cannot confirm.” Upon further questioning from Senior Smith, who queried whether she was “not saying it did not happen”, the witness repeated: “I cannot confirm that, sir.” The principal also maintained that she had never been shown any statement purported to be that of Kim Brown Lawrence by police. The principal confirmed that she had been visited by a cop on April 9, 2019, after which she gathered certain documents relating to the registration of students in the programme and indicated those documents would have been prepared by the bursars office. Under cross-examination, she indicated that the records were made by the school’s then bursar, Delroy Palmer, but said that Palmer would not necessarily have been the first point of contact for programmes and events entered into at Brown’s Town. Rather, that would have been handled by the vice principal if the query was academic or the requisite financial professionals. The trial continues on Monday, at 10:00 am, where additional witnesses are expected to be called. — Dana Malcolm