By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of attempting to use a fraudulent COVID-19 test to travel domestically earlier this year has a case to answer, a magistrate ruled yesterday.
Joseph Wallace Whitfield is currently on trial before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after he denied possessing and uttering a forged document.
Prosecutors alleged that Whitfield presented a fake Doctors Hospital health system negative COVID-19 RT PCR test to a COVID ambassador and an airport official at Lynden Pindling International Airport in March.
Jennifer Bonaby was the first witness to testify in the trial against Whitfield during his trial. During her testimony, the COVID ambassador said she was stationed at the domestic terminal at Lynden Pindling International Airport.
She said when Whitfield approached her desk around 6.05am, she asked him to show her his health visa, ID as well as his negative COVID test. She said when he presented the required travel documents, she noticed a “red flag” on the COVID test.
When Harriet Lundy-Gardiner, the hospital’s director of laboratory services, gave evidence, she also said she was asked to confirm whether Whitfield’s PCR test results were fraudulent or legitimate at the time of the incident. She said when the documents were run through the hospital’s management system, it was revealed the accused did not get his test from the medical facility.
The court was told Whitfield’s counsel, Damien Gomez, QC, presented a written no-case submission to the court for its consideration.
Yesterday, Magistrate Samuel McKinney said after reviewing the document and considering the evidence of the case, he found Whitfield did have a case to answer concerning the first two charges brought against him.
As a result, Mr Gomez told the court his client intended to call witnesses to testify on his behalf and requested a brief adjournment.
Whitfield returns to court on January 17, 2022.
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