By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
PORTIA SIMPSON Miller, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, is to meet with the St. James Parish Council to discuss the findings of the independent probe into the controversial lease arrangements and informal settlements on the Bogue lands.
She has, however, declined to commit herself to a timeframe within which these discussions will take place.
"We have gotten the report from Mr. (Dennis) Morrison Q.C., who conducted the enquiry, and I am going to be requesting a meeting with the parish council, so we can discuss the recommendations," Mrs. Simpson Miller said.
"I have to ensure that the meeting takes place at a convenient date to the parish councillors," she added.
She sees the meeting as a necessary step forward by the local government ministry and the parish council, in settling the controversy shrouding land tenure arrangements on the Bogue property.
Her comments came on the heels of the tabling in parliament last Tuesday, of the report on the independent probe by Mr. Morrison, the sole enquirer.
The report deemed the appropriation of the Bogue lands as a "sorry history of maladministration and mismanagement" by the former People's National Party-dominated parish council. The report however stopped short of determining whether there was impropriety and or corruption in the distribution of land at that site.
Mr. Morrison said he did "not think that it will be possible or, indeed desirable to determine allegations of corruption and impropriety without a public hearing and the taking of evidence".
Also, he has recommended that the parish council take steps to bring closure to the disposal of the controversial Bogue lands in a "non-confrontational" manner. He suggested that the parish council conducts a survey of the 10.5-acre property, with a view to preparing a sub-division plan of the site.
CONFLICT
The conflict over the Bogue lands came to a head last year, prior to the June local government election, when Jamaica Labour Party councillors accused PNP councillors of trying to lease/sell the land cheaper than its true value. In June, the local government ministry ordered an independent probe of the matter and blocked attempts by the council to regularise it.
An earlier probe was conducted by JLP Councillor Charles Sinclair, who was appointed to investigate on behalf of the council. Mr. Sinclair concluded that there were several instances of gross negligence, impropriety and clear breaches of the law in the handling of the matter.
When The Gleaner contacted Mr. Sinclair last week, he said the findings of Mr. Morrison were a vindication of the probe he had conducted earlier.
"The report (of Mr. Morrison) describes the maladministration and mismanagement in the previous council... That's something that we (JLP councillors) had perceived and the findings do confirm that," said Mr. Sinclair.
