( L - R ) Chin, Spencer

ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING North East St Elizabeth Member of Parliament (MP) Kern Spencer, businessman Rodney Chin and Coleen Wright are expected to apply for an extension of their bail when they appear before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today.

Spencer was released on $10 million bail on February 29, after spending three nights in police lock-up. Wright is on $5 million bail and Chin is on $10 million bail.

The three were charged last month by detectives from the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), as investigations into the Cuban light-bulb scandal intensified.

Spencer, a member of the People's National Party (PNP), is accused of acting improperly when, as state minister in the energy ministry, he exercised control over an energy-saving light-bulb project which cost $276 million to implement.

The Cuban light-bulb project, which is formally called the 4M project, is a joint energy-saving initiative between the governments of Jamaica and Cuba.

The Cuban Government had gifted Jamaica with four million energy-saving bulbs and 300 volunteers to help in the replacement of the less energy-efficient incandescent bulb. The project lasted 18 months.

The PNP had formed the government at the time of the project but lost the general elections to the Jamaica Labour Party soon afterwards.

List of charges

Spencer, who exercised ministerial duties over the project, was slapped with nine criminal charges.

He is facing six counts of money laundering, two counts of conspiracy to defraud, and one count of a breach of the Corruption Prevention Act.

Chin is charged with one count of money laundering, two counts of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.

Wright is charged with three counts of money laundering, two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act.