In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, Andrew Wright, O’Neil Hope, and Rudolph Barnes were found guilty of multiple charges related to a massive fraud scheme targeting the Institute of Sport (InSports). The case, which dates back to 2017, involved the embezzlement of $222 million from the governmental agency. Supreme Court Justice Ann-Marie Lawrence-Grainger delivered the verdict, convicting Wright, a former financial controller at InSports and a well-known promoter of the French Connection and Chug It party series, on 13 counts of fraud. Barnes was found guilty of 11 counts, while Hope faced conviction on eight counts. Among the three women implicated in the case, Sherene Farquharson and Andrea Picton were acquitted, but Karita Davis, accused of facilitating the cashing of fraudulent cheques for Wright, remains at large. The three convicted men have been remanded in custody and are scheduled for sentencing on November 21. Further details on this high-profile case will be published in the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.
