Prime Minister Andrew Holness - file photo
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Attorney-at-law Nicole Gordon, Danny Roberts, head of the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness
Prime Minister Andrew Holness continues to face criticism for reassigning ministers despite allegations of impropriety and conflict of interest in carrying out their duties.
J.C. Hutchinson was on Friday stripped of responsibility for agriculture and transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister.
This followed controversy over the decision by SCJ Holdings to allow a company, Holland Producers Limited, to take control of more than 2,000 acres of land in St. Elizabeth based on a recommendation from Mr. Hutchinson.
Mr. Hutchinson's partner and the mother of his child, Lola Marshall-Williams, was a director of Holland Producers.
Attorney-at-law Nicole Gordon has said she expected the Prime Minister to take stronger action in the wake of Mr. Hutchinson's admission of errors of judgement in relation to the land deal.
"Given what...we already have presented to us in the public domain, he has apologised and we can see from the apology...that there is an admittance that something in fact went wrong. And so, if we accept that something did in fact go wrong, then I am of the view that the action that should be taken in relation to that perhaps should be a little more vigorous," she asserted.
She was speaking Sunday on Radio Jamaica's weekly news review programme That's a Rap.
Meanwhile, Danny Roberts, Senior Lecturer and head of the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute at the University of the West Indies Open Campus, said the Prime Minister could even opt to send ministers on leave instead of reassigning them.
"Due process has to take place before any dismissal can be contemplated and there is also the option of relieving the person of portfolio responsibility until a thorough investigation takes place. But on the face of it, simply to transfer from one ministry to the other and to continue as if it's business as usual really doesn't strike a proper chord, certainly in the minds of the public about how sincere one is to addressing issues of perceived corruption," he determined.
In seeking to defend Mr. Hutchinson's actions, Prime Minister Holness noted that there are many instances where politicians have allowed people to occupy government lands with there being "no structure, no order, no orderly occupation."
In this instance, he said he is "satisfied that Minister Hutchinson was not doing that and he was seeking an orderly way of settling the land, so that small farmers could benefit without limiting the future prospects of development of the land."
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