By Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterTHE GOVERNMENT-OWNED Financial Institutions Services Ltd. (FIS) has been given the go ahead by the Court of Appeal to dispose of the assets belonging to Donovan Crawford, former head of the Century financial entities and his companies to recover a $2 billion judgment.
This was made possible when the Court of Appeal rescinded the conditional leave it had granted to Crawford to appeal to the United Kingdom Privy Council against the court ruling.
In setting aside the conditional leave, the court also set aside the stay of execution it had granted in respect of the judgment.
When FIS took over of the Crawford controlled Century National operations on behalf of Government, it found Mr. Crawford's personal company owed Century millions of dollars in outstanding debts. A court order was made in regard of $15 million of debts owed by the company, Regardless Limited, which has assets, including a property at 1 Paddington Terrace in Kingston.
Court of Appeal Judge Henderson Downer had ruled in February this year that if Crawford did not pay $7.6 million owing to FIS' lawyers Myers Fletcher and Gordon then FIS could apply to rescind his permission to appeal to the Privy Council to have his case heard.
Crawford appealed against Mr. Justice's Downer's ruling on the ground that it was a breach of his constitutional right and the judge had no authority to make such an order. The local Court of Appeal dismissed Crawford's appeal on April 22 this year and held that Mr. Justice Downer was correct.
However, the court's ruling last week does not preclude Crawford from pursuing his appeal to the Privy Council.
Attorney Oswald James who is representing Crawford and his companies told the Court of Appeal comprising the Hon. Ian Forte, President of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Justice Paul Harrison and Mr. Justice Clarence Walker that Crawford's appeal has been set for hearing on January 13 before the Privy Council.
