After two days of waiting, key witness Rodney Chin yesterday took the stand in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court for two hours giving evidence in the trial of Kern Spencer on the case of the Cuban light bulb scandal.

Chin, a businessman, told the court he was a only a "front man" for Spencer in the companies he helped him to form to allegedly benefit from the funds involving the free light bulbs.

The witness said he did not receive any proceeds from the companies' activities.

Spencer and his assistant Colleen Wright are charged with corruption and money laundering arising from the implementation of the programme.

illicit means

The Crown alleges that they benefited improperly from the energy-saving programme and is relying on Chin's evidence to show that the companies formed by the accused were used for illicit means under the programme.

Chin is listed as a director in four companies at the centre of the investigation. The companies were formed in 2006 while Spencer had full responsibility for the implementation of the light bulb project.

The businessman yesterday painted a picture of a more than cordial relationship between himself and the Opposition Member of Parliament.

He told the court that he trusted Spencer to be an honourable gentleman. He said that he helped to fund Spencer's campaign in his bid to win the North East St Elizabeth seat.

Chin began testifying shortly after Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey ruled that attorney-at-law Richard Small who represented him as a co-accused in the case, should not remain in the courtroom. Defence lawyers have said they intend to call Small as a witness to ascertain how Chin came to be Crown witness.

Chin told the court that he first met Spencer in 2002 at the time when Spencer was a parliamentary secretary. Chin explained that in 2002 he was an executive member of the Jamaica Rifle Association and he met Spencer when he came to the association in his official capacity.

Chin, in relating how he came to be a director in Spencer's companies, said that in May 2006, Spencer, who was then the junior minister in the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Energy (MITEC), called him and told him to meet him at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) because he wanted to have conversation with him.

Chin said Spencer said he did not know that becoming a Member of Parliament was such a financial strain. Chin said he and Spencer spoke about other government boards under Spencer's ministry and Spencer asked him if he wanted to sit on those boards.

financial constraints

According to Chin, Spencer asked him to set up some companies because he wanted to help people in his constituency and Chin said he agreed to set up the companies. Chin said Spencer spoke about the financial constraints and pointed out that the companies would help to get some people off the streets.

He said Spencer told him that the first company he wanted to form was a security company and told him that his assistant, Wright, would get in touch with him. Chin said Wright got in touch with him a week later by telephone and they arranged to meet and sign the document for the company. He said Wright met him at his house bringing with her documents which he signed.

Chin said he did not read the documents before signing them and did not know the name of the companies when he signed the documents.

blank documents

Chin also told the court that Spencer asked him to open a bank account for the security company and he signed the forms through Wright. He said he did not fill out any forms relating to any of the companies and he only signed documents that were given to him by Wright. He said also that most of the documents he signed were blank and he did not benefit from any of the companies.

The businessman told the court that he even signed blank cheques relating to the security company.

In relation to Universal Management Development Company (UMD) - another of the companies at the centre of the investigation - Chin said Spencer approached him to set up the company because he wanted to help people set up small businesses. He said that his only concern was that he wanted Spencer to get an accountant to ensure that the companies met the necessary tax obligations.

Spencer and Wright have been on trial in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's court since Monday. Chin will continue his testimony on Monday.