By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterPUBLIC DEFENDER Howard Hamilton has been asked to step in to mediate growing tension between some family members and the legal representatives of the 24-year-old woman who died of AIDS.
The contentious issue is a $200,000 payout by Government to finance the funeral expenses.
Andrea, who contracted HIV in hospital in 2001, died two weeks ago. She successfully sued the Ministry of Health and her lawyers were working out a
settlement with the Government when she died.
Since her death, plans to bury the woman have remained in limbo. The latest funeral date has been set for Sunday, November 2.
The tension is said to relate to the lawyers' request for the family to get invoices from businesses regarding funeral arrangements before the release of the $200,000 to the family.
The family's grouse is that although they have provided invoices, the lawyers keep sending them back for different types of invoices, which is frustrating them.
SENDING INVESTIGATOR
"They have a desire to have our office involved so what our office will do is to send an investigator down to take a written statement from her (Andrea's sister)," said Public Defender Howard Hamilton. "What we will try to do is to facilitate in whatever way we can, expediting all arrangements. We will endeavour to join hands with their attorneys to expedite these arrangements."
Speaking with The Gleaner shortly before her cellular telephone signal faded yesterday, Audrey Reynolds, an associate at the law firm Haughton and Associates, said asking the families to get invoices was "proper accounting procedure."
