DESPITE SUFFERING a body blow in court yesterday, attorneys representing Kern Spencer and Coleen Wright are fighting to prevent voice recordings allegedly captured on cellular phones by Rodney Chin from being admitted into evidence.

Defence counsel rushed into Plan B yesterday after the senior resident magistrate for the Corporate Area, Judith Pusey, allowed a third cellular phone, handed over by Chin, to be admitted.

The phone, which the prosecution said is the most important of the three devices, was allegedly used to record conversations between Spencer and prosecution witness Chin.

After Pusey handed down her ruling, Director of Public Prosecu-tions Paula Llewellyn attempted to enter the recordings into evidence, but her move was met with objection from the defence.

Fight to keep phones out

Wright's attorney, K.D. Knight, who cross-examined Chin for almost an hour and a half, left little doubt that he thought the recordings should be kept out because Chin's phones were not in proper working order. He also attempted to create doubt as to whether it was Chin who made the recordings.

Under cross-examination, Chin admitted the phones had mal-functioned, but said they were in working order at the time he recorded the conversations.

He also said he was neither promised nor seeking assistance from government ministers when he made the recordings. Chin said that during the time of making the recordings he had been having discussions with politicians, but denied being influenced by them to record the conversations.

Chin, a former co-accused in the case, said he recorded the conver-sations because he wanted to prove the truth about his involvement in the Cuban light-bulb saga.

Spencer and Wright are alleged to have benefited improperly from the implementation of the energy-saving bulb programme. They are charged with money laundering and corruption.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com