Panton SSL fraud trial set for February 2027 as fresh bail bid looms

Lawyers for Jean Ann Panton, the sole defendant in the multibillion-dollar Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) fraud matter, plan to renew their application for bail when the case next goes before the court on December 10.

Supreme Court Judge Justice Simone Wolfe Reece fixed that return date when the proceedings came before her, and also listed February 10, 2027 as the start of Panton's trial. A hearing to confirm trial readiness is likewise listed for December 10.

An earlier trial fixture of May 4, 2026 was removed from the calendar. Justice Wolfe Reece required that any fresh bail request be put in writing, directing the defence to lodge its papers by the close of September and the Crown to answer by the close of October.

Panton attended the sitting in person, using a wheelchair, and seemed upbeat. She was observed jotting notes while the court dealt with the case, and was sent back into custody until the next appearance.

Defence counsel Sylvester Hemmings used the hearing to complain about conditions at the women's correctional centre holding his client. He told the court that officials there had stopped allowing relatives to deliver meals to inmates. That change, he submitted, has hurt Panton, whom he described as having a worsening medical condition that needs a specialised diet her family had been providing.

"When I go to the prison, what I see her eating, I wouldn't give my cats," Hemmings told the court.

Justice Simone Wolfe Reece asked if counsel had approached the prison administration about why the rule was introduced and whether any arrangement could be made for Panton. Hemmings said he had not yet taken that step.

Panton has been held since February 2023. The former SSL client relations manager is facing a 22-count indictment alleging forgery, larceny as a servant, and dealing in transactions involving criminal property.

She remains the only person charged over the fraud at the brokerage, which became public in January 2023 after multiple clients reported heavy losses on their investment accounts.

Sprint icon Usain Bolt is among those said to have been hit. Holdings in an account under Welljen Limited, a company he owns, were reported to have fallen from roughly J$2 billion (US$12.7 million) in October 2022 to about J$1.8 million (US$12,000) by the time the scheme came to light. His lawyers say none of the lost money has been returned to him.