Zavia Mayne
By Warren Bertram
The Integrity Commission has identified a possible conflict of interest in relation to newly installed Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Zavia Mayne.
The issue is in relation to the 2011 purchase of 200 acres of land at Caymanas Estate by the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ), from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).
The Integrity Commission says in April 2011, the Board of Directors of the FCJ approved the appointment of Mr. Mayne and Robert Ramsey as attorneys-at-law in the FCJ's acquisition of 200 acres of land from the UDC.
At the time, both Mr. Mayne and Mr. Ramsey were serving members of the FCJ's Board of Directors and members of the Caymanas Economic Zone Sub Committee.
The Integrity Commission's Director of Investigations concluded that the FCJ paid Zavia Mayne and Robert Ramsey a sum of $26 million for private legal services rendered in relation to the FCJ's acquisition of the land at Caymanas Estate.
The Integrity Commission also found that the FCJ terminated the legal services of Mr. Mayne and Mr. Ramsey on September 4, 2012, prior to the completion of the acquisition of the land.
Despite the termination, full payment of the $26 million fee was made.
The report also outlined the steps taken by the FCJ to recover the money when, on December 19, 2014, it contracted the services of Linton Walters and Company to complete legal services for the land acquisition.
But, despite paying the law firm a $5 million retainer, neither was achieved and the FCJ eventually ended its efforts to retrieve the payments made to Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Mayne.
The Integrity Commission is therefore recommending that the FCJ should implement a policy which addresses conflict of interest, specifically at the board level in keeping with the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act.
The commission wants the FCJ to ensure that the policy provides clear prohibitions against conflicts of interest including formal disclosures and documentary evidence of deliberations, regarding any conflict of interest situation which may arise.
Additionally, the commission says given the prevalence of conflicts of interests in Jamaica, and the detrimental impact on public confidence in government and good governance, Prime Minister Andrew Holness should commission a review of the issue with a view to introducing legislation and or regulations to clarify how these should be managed.
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