Why mediation, asks P.U.P.?

John Briceño

Following a case management conference last Wednesday, the case of attorney Sharon Pitts concerning compensation of four hundred thousand dollars for land at the Haulover Bridge is headed to mediation in the Supreme Court. Mediation is a closed-door session in which the mediator sits with both parties to work out a satisfactory solution which is then translated as a court order. It means that though government has aimed to recover the full money, there is a chance they will not get all of it. Opposition Leader John Briceño said on Thursday that to him, that is not acceptable.

John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“I don’t know what is there to mediate: these people supposed to return the money, because the money should have never been given, the compensation. The land should have never been given from day one. The Minister knew it was listed in the House… (interruption) the ministries knew that this land was private land and now they’re talking. So the deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources at that time, Gaspar Vega – in the minutes, I saw a copy of it, where they are telling him that it appears to be private land, he went ahead and gave the land to his son and Miss Pitts, and then compensated them for eight hundred thousand dollars. and here we are maybe two years later, and we can’t get back one cent, when the Prime Minister immediately jumped up and said he’s going to get back the money.”

Pitts is represented by Senior Counsel Hubert Elrington and the Government by Solicitor General Nigel Hawke. The connected case of Andre Vega remains in case management before the Supreme Court.