Davies, Contractor General court battle stalls

Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator

The court case between the Minister of Transport, Works and Housing Dr Omar Davies and the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) over the OCG’s insistence on monitoring three major government projects has been adjourned until July 27.

The case came up before Justice Lennox Campbell in the Supreme Court this morning.

The attorney general’s office indicated that it needed more time to respond to an affidavit filed by the OCG on June 27 as well as a supplemental filing made yesterday.

The government is seeking a judicial review as to whether the OCG has the authority to issue requisitions to a three-member independent panel set up to monitor the projects.

The attorney general, Patrick Atkinson, has disagreed with the OCG’s insistence that the oversight panel should provide to the Contractor General formal reports on its deliberations regarding the projects.

The projects are the north-south link of Highway 2000, which spans Spanish Town to Ocho Rios; the Gordon Cay Container Trans-shipment hub, and the Fort Augusta Container terminal.

The OCG is being represented in the case by Queen’s Counsel, Jacqueline Samuels Brown.

Attorney general, Patrick Atkinson, and deputy solicitor general Lackston Robinson, were both in court this morning on behalf of the government.

Atkinson says one affidavit was received yesterday and the other last Friday.

He also say they had inaccuracies which must be responded to.

Both sides were then granted time to file and respond to affidavits.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com