Crawford

Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Former boss of the Century Financial entities Donovan Crawford and his former wife Claudine, have each been ordered to pay $1.5 million or face 30 days imprisonment for contempt of court.

Justice Roy Anderson made the order in the Supreme Court yesterday following a claim made by the government-owned Financial Institutions Services Ltd. (FIS), that the Crawfords had breached court orders.

Solicitor General Michael Hylton, Q.C., in making the application, told the court that after the court granted orders freezing Mr. Crawford's assets and court orders were granted for the sale of his properties, Crawford attempted to sell his half share in a property in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, to his former wife. The property was jointly owned by the Crawfords.

Mr. Hylton and attorneys-at-law Carlene Larmond and Kalaycia Clarke, who represented the FIS, argued that both Crawford and his former wife were aware of the court orders. The lawyers said it was when Mr. Crawford made attempts to sell his share to his former wife that the FIS was informed, because it had already cancelled the titles to Mr. Crawford's properties and obtained new titles for them.

Disrespect for the judiciary

In making his submission, Mr. Hylton referred to Mr. Crawford's disrespect for the Jamaican judiciary with respect to comments of "bias" alleged against the judiciary in a letter to lawyers for the FIS. He said Mr. Crawford even described the United Kingdom-based Privy Council ruling against him as being flawed.

The Crawfords, who were not represented at the hearing, were ordered to pay legal costs. If the Crawfords do not pay the fines they can be imprisoned if they come to Jamaica. The Solicitor General said steps would be made to recover the fine because there are provisions in law to do s they are living abroad.

Following a long legal battle, Crawford and his companies were ordered by the local courts to pay $4 billion in loans and interests to the FIS. Crawford took the case to the United Kingdom Privy Council which ruled in 2005 that he should pay the money which arose from loan transactions to Crawford's companies when he was in charge of the Century Financial entities.

After the legal battle ended, FIS got the go ahead from the court to sell properties owned by Crawford and his companies.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com