By Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner WriterAUDLEY SHAW, chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), firmly refused yesterday to stand down from that position pending the outcome of a legal battle involving his family business.
Instead, Mr. Shaw, the Opposition spokesman on finance, blasted his detractors, charging that he was being targeted for 'unscrupulous purposes' with the issues being used as a political weapon against him.
The matter was raised by Dr. Morais Guy, People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament from central St. Mary at the start of the regular weekly meeting of the PAC, with support from his PNP colleagues Sharon Haye-Webster and Dr. Patrick Harris.
'YIELD THE CHAIR'
Mr. Shaw had just called the meeting to order and was about to proceed with the day's business when he was halted by Dr. Guy, who suggested that, rather than proceeding with business as usual, he should yield the chair to one of his Opposition colleagues in light of recent news stories regarding his business.
"Your continued chairmanship of this particularly sensitive committee of Parliament has the potential to bring into disrepute the workings of this committee," said Dr. Guy.
This was flatly rejected by Mr. Shaw, who then used the opportunity to make a statement on the court case.
The matter, he said, arose from the terms of a joint venture agreement that he and his wife entered into with Joseph Issa of CoolOasis Limited in 2003.
The substance of that agreement, he said, was the creation of a new company, CoolOasis Christiana Limited, for the purpose of operating the Shaw's Christiana, Manchester-based service station.
The agreement, he said, would see the new company being owned on a 50/50 basis and operated by Mrs. Shaw, with an arrangement for the distribution of the proceeds of gas sales.
According to Mr. Shaw, a problem developed, "in part due to the lack of calibration of fuel tanks, which led to problems in inventory measurement and control, resulting in substantial loss."
Regarding reports of several 'bounced' cheques emanating from the business, Mr. Shaw acknowledged that this was so, blaming it on the 'lack of calibration', but, he said, they were promptly made good 'at great sacrifice'.
The matter is now in court, with Joseph Issa's CoolOasis reportedly seeking to recover profits which he claims were not handed over in keeping with the 2003 partnership agreement.
In the meantime, the Shaws have been ordered by the court to vacate the property, pending the outcome of the lawsuit.
Mr. Shaw, in his statement, affirmed his continuing support of his wife, who, according to him, "has tried her best under an extremely hostile business environment to operate successfully."
Mrs. Hay-Webster, MP for South Central St. Catherine, suggested that, in light of the facts he had outlined, it might be better to have someone else act as chairman 'until the matter is resolved.'
Mr. Shaw promptly rejected that suggestion, saying that to remove himself from the chair "would be an admission of guilt to something, and I don't intend to that."
