No Settlement Discussed in Andre Vega Compensation Case
It has now been a month since the Government successfully served Estevan Perera as attorney on behalf of Andre Vega, businessman and son of the former DPM and Minister of Natural Resources Gaspar Vega. Andre for unknown reasons could not personally be located for months so the papers were delivered to his attorney. Attorney Sharon Pitts has also been served. Solicitor General Nigel Hawke, on behalf of the Government, is suing Vega and Pitts for four hundred thousand dollars each of tax payers’ monies that they received in compensation for the takeover of land near the Haulover Bridge in 2015. The land in question was privately held and the files at the Ministry had so indicated, but still the government sold the properties. Vega declined to return the land in question and Pitts has demurred on returning her share as well. With Vega and Pitts responding through their attorneys to the claim, the stage is set for trial, as according to Michael Peyrefitte no agreement to settle is on the table.
Michael Peyrefitte
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General
“As I understand it, everything depends on how fast the courts move with it. They have been served; I am informed that they have responded to the claim, and so essentially it’s a matter of it going to a case management conference, and then at that point then the matter will move forward as it normally does – probably a pre-trial review and then we have the trial itself.”
Reporter
“You would not be able to say if settlement remains an option?”
Michael Peyrefitte
“No, no. I will leave it in the hands of the Crown Counsel who is dealing with it, who is the SolGen himself at this point. Whenever you deal with civil matters, there is always the possibility of settlement and any other thing to prevent – the Court encourages you to not have the Court make a decision if it doesn’t have to; but if there is no room for settlement the Court will decide. But as far as I know, we’re not talking settlement; so I think, as far as I know, the matter will proceed to trial. But there is always room for settlement in any civil case.”
The A.G. limited his comments in light of his previous promise to not try pending cases in the public when he took over the office in January.
