Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
North East St Elizabeth member of parliament Kern Spencer is embraced by a supporter as he leaves the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, shortly after posting bail yesterday.

Daraine Luton and Edmond Campbell, Staff Reporters

HIS EYES filled with tears, but he did not cry. Kern Spencer, the embattled People's National Party (PNP) member of parliament for North East St Elizabeth, stood strong amid scores of enthusiastic supporters who gathered outside the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, yesterday to see him released from police lock-up.

He was jailed on Tuesday after being charged with nine offences, including fraud, money laundering and corruption, in relation to his role in the Cuban light-bulb scandal.

He has been 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 four million light bulbs were gifts from Cuba.

Slapped with six counts

Spencer has been slapped with six counts of money laundering, two counts of conspiracy to defraud, and one count of a breach of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was arrested along with businessman Rodney Chin and his former personal assistant, Coleen Wright.

The former junior minister, though offered $10 million bail on Wednesday, had to endure two more nights behind bars as bail documents were not processed until yesterday.

For a third consecutive day yesterday, PNP faithful gathered in Half-Way Tree, singing for Spencer, who, they said, was a victim of a political witch-hunt. Supporters, who came from as far away as his rural constituency, went into a frenzy when he arrived in an unmarked police car at 1:41 p.m. to sign his bail bond.

As he approached the court's offices, persons applied cologne to his clothes, before he was quickly ushered to the office where he completed the process for his bail.

The procedure took about eight minutes, and, by the time Spencer descended the courthouse steps, in his pink shirt under a grey suit, and faced them, his supporters could not contain themselves.

Spencer struggled to maintain his balance as excited supporters planted kisses and hugs on him. He was obviously moved.

However, it was from Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica, that tears escaped. Explaining her presence, she said she believed in human rights and was there to lend support to young Spencer.

Despite looking tired, the former junior minister tried to keep a smile on his face.

Yesterday was the first time since Spencer's arrest that a member of the PNP hierarchy showed up to give him support. Party Chairman Robert Pickersgill and former Deputy General Secretary Maureen Webber were both on the scene in Half-Way Tree.

No resignation talk

Pickersgill told journalists that the party had not asked the MP to step down, adding that Spencer had not given any indication he was about to hand in his resignation.

"The matter of resignation, not to say it has not come up, but to date, the party has no intention of asking him to resign," the PNP chairman said.

Pickersgill said the leadership of the PNP had not abandoned Spencer and that the party would meet shortly with Spencer's constituents to discuss the matter.

Wright, who has been slapped with six charges, was also bailed yesterday. On Thursday, Rodney Chin, who is facing five charges, was released on bail.

All three have been fingerprinted and ordered to turn over their travel documents. They will return to court on March 26, when the matter will be mentioned.