Sandals Whitehouse.
The Government says it will be going ahead with the controversial sale of its share in Sandals Whitehouse, in Westmoreland, to the Gordon Butch Stewart-owned Gorstew Limited.
The Government owns more than 60% of the hotel.
Unfortunate
At Wednesday's Post-Cabinet Press Briefing, Information Minister Daryl Vaz, described as unfortunate, Contractor General Greg Christie's insistence that the sale be halted.
Mr. Vaz said the OCG has been furnished with all the requisite answers to questions posed regarding the sale.
He said despite this, Mr. Christie has since responded, indicating that he will be going ahead with his investigation.
“The Contractor General has a right to do what he has been mandated to do but again I would say again, especially in this case with the honourable R. Danny Williams who has served so well, both in private sector and public sector, that it is definitely an unpleasant situation,”
“Nothing has come to me that the government has had any change of heart in terms of what they have done, in terms of the sale of Sandals Whitehouse and I don’t know whether or not that will change depending on what transpires as the investigation continues,” Mr. Vaz said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Vaz lamented that the manner in which investigations are being initiated is posing a deterrent to Jamaicans who are willing to serve the country without payment.
“Their names are brought into the middle of what you would call, disagreements between the government and how the government proceeds on certain sales and of course the Contractor General,” he said.
CG fires back
And the Contractor General has fired off a response to the Information Minister.
In his response, Mr. Christie said he wishes to remind Mr. Vaz that the OCG is an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of the Parliament of Jamaica which is expressly authorized by law to conduct investigations into the award of Government contracts.
He said it is unlawful for a Contractor General, in the exercise of his powers under the Contractor General Act, to be subjected to the dictates, direction or control of any person or authority.
The Contractor General said, "If the Minister does not like how the OCG approaches its investigations, or who the OCG investigates, he should simply change the law or take the requisite steps to immediately disband the Commission of the Contractor General.”
He continued “it should also be made clear to the Minister that as far as the OCG is concerned, in Jamaica no one is above the law”.
He added that “it should also be emphasized, for the benefit of the Minister, that the OCG’s Investigation is more concerned about the regularity and propriety of the processes which are engaged by the Government in its award of contracts and the divestment of lucrative State assets”.
All feeds
