The multimillion-dollar fraud case against former state minister Kern Spencer and his two co-accused, Colleen Wright and businessman Rodney Chin, was given a January 21 mention date when the matter appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magis-trate's Court yesterday.

Although yesterday was the proposed trial date, which was set when the matter last came before the court, defence lawyers said the trial had to be pushed back as they only received a new and critical document in the case on Christmas Eve. As a result, the defence stated they needed more time to look over the new developments.

Testify against Spencer

The critical document being referred to is a statement that Chin provided investigators with in November following the decision to testify against Spencer in the trial. A move that will possibly see the charges against Chin being withdrawn.

While Spencer's attorney, Patrick Anderson, was displeased with what he termed as the "constant dribble of disclosure" which was hampering the start of the trial, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn said it was the Crown's duty to always disclose "all documents related to the matter that comes at hand".

Llewellyn further said that the move to not have the charges against Chin, the co-accused now turned witness, withdrawn in court yesterday was all part of prosecutorial process and procedure.

The case goes back to court on Wednesday January 21.