IN JAMAICA: Daryl Vaz Freed Police witness says he was coerced by then Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Felice to give statement... "We were cajoled, compelled, forced, coerced, and bounded. We were told to provide statements."

BY RACQUEL PORTER Observer staff reporter porterr@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, February 17, 2015

DARYL Vaz walked out of the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday a free man after the prosecution's main witness, Sergeant Jubert Llewellyn, told the court that he gave a statement in the Opposition MP's corruption case under duress, saying that he had never been more "stressed in my life".

Daryl Vaz

He said also that he was told by then Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Felice that he would not be allowed to leave his (Felice's) office at Oxford Road in Kingston until he gave a statement.

"We were there from 7:30 to midnight," he said, speaking of himself and Sergeant Delon Lewis.

Felice… accused of coercing
 witness to give statement

"Sergeant Lewis and myself, on arrival at the office [South Tower], met Inspector Reid, assistant commissioner of police, and Assistant Commissioner Haye," Llewellyn said. "We were cajoled, compelled, forced, coerced, and bounded. We were told to provide statements."

He added: "I have never been as stressed my entire life," he said.

Llewellyn said he thought that he had no option but to give the statement.

He told the court that, based on what he was told by then Commissioner Owen Ellington, he and Lewis were both allowed to leave and return the following morning -- April 28, 2012 -- with the statements. more