Keith Ferrier, who was accused of setting fire to the Ministry of Health (MoH) building in 2009, was yesterday cleared of the charge after a city court found that the prosecution had no case against him.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, after stating that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, said that the witnesses called had failed to lead sufficient evidence to prove all the elements of the charge.
At the last court hearing, Prosecutor Neville Jeffers had been forced to close the case after 19 of the remaining witnesses were no-shows.
Ferrier’s lawyer, Patrice Henry, had argued then that the prosecution had failed to produce any evidence linking his client to the crime.
In July of 2009, Ferrier was charged with unlawfully and maliciously setting fire to the MoH building and was released on $350,000 bail, after which he fled the jurisdiction. He was recaptured earlier this year at North Road, Bourda.
The 2009 fire, which resulted in the destruction of the MoH’s main building and an annex on Brickdam, was reportedly started by channa bombs. Aside from Ferrier, two other persons, Clayton Westford and Tedena Bagot were charged with the crime.
