DIPCON moves to court for monies owned by Guyana Government
…AG Chambers will deal with the matter – Minister Jordan
The Guyana Government was, in 2015, ordered to pay Trinidad construction company DIPCON a sum in excess of US$2.2 million; but, to date, the money has not been paid, and as such, DIPCON has now moved to the courts.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan
This time, DIPCON is filing legal proceedings against Guyana’s Finance Minister Winston Jordan, for failing to adhere to a 2015 order which compelled the State to pay some US$2.2 million to the Trinidadian company.
However, according to Minister Jordan, the company will receive the money it is legally due, but the Government needs some time.
“…but the judgement is a huge judgement. Our lawyers, the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Chambers, will deal with the matter. The Government, through the AG Chambers, will start examining the matter to pay them (DIPCON)…we will provide a response shortly,” Jordan told Guyana Times in an invited comment on Thursday.
Justice Rishi Persaud had handed down the judgement in the company’s favour on October 21, 2015, but DIPCON has claimed that Minister Jordan has failed to take steps to effect payment. As a result, the Trinidadian company’s lawyers have applied to the Court for an administrative order to compel the Minister to pay.
Justice Persaud had ruled in 2017 that DIPCON recover from the Government of Guyana the sum of US$665,032.17 as money due to the engineering company for road-building and construction works undertaken for and at the request of the Government, along with the sum of US$1,563,368.50 for increased costs incurred by DIPCON at the request of the Government in the course of undertaking the aforementioned work.
The engineering company had also requested interest at six per cent per annum from February 10, 2009 to October 21, 2015, and thereafter at a rate of four per cent per annum until fully paid. It was also ordered that the Government pay DIPCON costs to the tune of $1,200,000, along with a stay of execution for six weeks from the date of the ruling. (Kristen Macklingam)
