The court hearing into the legal proceedings filed against Finance Minister Winston Jordan by Trinidadian company DIPCON Engineering Services over non-payment of monies which the Government was ordered to pay back in 2015, on Thursday commenced in the chambers of Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Demerara High Court.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan
Attorney General Basil Williams appeared on behalf of the State. During the hearing, an application was made for an extension of 14 days (two weeks) for the respondent (State) to serve and file a defence into the case challenging the Finance Minister. As such, the application was accepted by Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, allowing the respondent to have two weeks to file their defence.
The Attorney General in an invited comment revealed that following Thursday’s decision, they would have to write to the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards in order that a new court be constituted to hear the matter.
DIPCON has recently moved to the court over non-payment of some US$2.2 million which the Government was ordered to pay back in 2015. The legal proceedings were this time brought against the Finance Minister as he failed to adhere to the court order, compelling the State to pay the aforementioned amount of money to the Trinidadian company.
Minister Jordan during last week informed the media that the company will receive the monies it is legally due, but the Government needs some time.
“…but the judgement is a huge judgement. Our lawyers, the Attorney General’s (AG) 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” Minister Jordan stated.
In 2017, Justice Rishi Persaud had ruled that DIPCON recover from the Government of Guyana some US$665,000 as monies due to the engineering company for road-building and construction works undertaken for and at the request of the Government, along with some US$1.5 million for increased costs incurred by DIPCON.
The engineering company also requested a six per cent per annum interest 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 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.
