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Out of bounds? - Henry questions Christie's actions - Says contractor general might have overstepped boundaries in JUTC probe
published: Monday | December 1, 2008
Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry, is raising questions about whether Contractor General Greg Christie overstepped his boundaries by recommending that criminal sanctions be laid against the acting managing director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).
Mr Christie, in his report, recommended that criminal charges be laid against Bindley Sangster, the acting managing director of the JUTC. He made the recommendation after a special probe into the awarding of some contracts at the state-run bus company. The investigation was initiated after the June 27 murder of then JUTC chairman, Douglas Chambers.
False statement
In the 104-page report, the contractor general said Sangster wilfully made a false statement to his office when he said the JUTC's finance committee approved contracts with Simber Productions that were awarded in February. The contracts were for a JUTC SmartCard feature on the 'Susan' show, a JUTC commercial, and a 'Ride and Win Summer Bling' advertisement. Sangster was the chairman of the JUTC's finance committee when the contracts were awarded.
Conflict of interest
Mr Christie also found that there was a clear conflict of interest in the award because Chambers was part of Simber Productions.
Christie said Chambers lied when he claimed that he was not the major shareholder in the company.
In his first response since the tabling of a damning report on procurement breaches at the state-run bus company in the Senate on Friday, Henry said yesterday it was his view that such a judgment would be better made by a member of the judiciary or the director of public prosecutions.
"[It] may have the effect of actually prejudicing any possible judicial handling of the matter," Henry said in a release from his ministry yesterday evening.
He also raised questions about the methods employed by the contractor general in disseminating the report.
According to Henry, the tabling of the report in the Senate before it could be reviewed by the House of Representatives was contrary to normal parliamentary procedure.
He said he had asked the attorney general to advise him on how to address the matter.
Henry also said the document, which was delivered to him on November 26, was not marked urgent and that he therefore did not peruse it before Friday after its contents had already been in the domain of the media.
But the Opposition People's National Party has since called for the resignations of Sangster and others who sat on the JUTC's procurement committee. The party is to hold a press conference on the issue at its Old Hope Road headquarters in St Andrew this morning.
published: Monday | December 1, 2008
Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry, is raising questions about whether Contractor General Greg Christie overstepped his boundaries by recommending that criminal sanctions be laid against the acting managing director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).
Mr Christie, in his report, recommended that criminal charges be laid against Bindley Sangster, the acting managing director of the JUTC. He made the recommendation after a special probe into the awarding of some contracts at the state-run bus company. The investigation was initiated after the June 27 murder of then JUTC chairman, Douglas Chambers.
False statement
In the 104-page report, the contractor general said Sangster wilfully made a false statement to his office when he said the JUTC's finance committee approved contracts with Simber Productions that were awarded in February. The contracts were for a JUTC SmartCard feature on the 'Susan' show, a JUTC commercial, and a 'Ride and Win Summer Bling' advertisement. Sangster was the chairman of the JUTC's finance committee when the contracts were awarded.
Conflict of interest
Mr Christie also found that there was a clear conflict of interest in the award because Chambers was part of Simber Productions.
Christie said Chambers lied when he claimed that he was not the major shareholder in the company.
In his first response since the tabling of a damning report on procurement breaches at the state-run bus company in the Senate on Friday, Henry said yesterday it was his view that such a judgment would be better made by a member of the judiciary or the director of public prosecutions.
"[It] may have the effect of actually prejudicing any possible judicial handling of the matter," Henry said in a release from his ministry yesterday evening.
He also raised questions about the methods employed by the contractor general in disseminating the report.
According to Henry, the tabling of the report in the Senate before it could be reviewed by the House of Representatives was contrary to normal parliamentary procedure.
He said he had asked the attorney general to advise him on how to address the matter.
Henry also said the document, which was delivered to him on November 26, was not marked urgent and that he therefore did not peruse it before Friday after its contents had already been in the domain of the media.
But the Opposition People's National Party has since called for the resignations of Sangster and others who sat on the JUTC's procurement committee. The party is to hold a press conference on the issue at its Old Hope Road headquarters in St Andrew this morning.
(kis teet)
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