Company linked to Holness and his business partner breached building law in townhouse construction: IC
Published:Tuesday | December 10, 2024 | 6:05 PM
An Integrity Commission investigation has found that a company linked to Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his business partner Norman Brown built an apartment complex in St Andrew with more rooms than allowed, breaching the law.
Brown is chairman of the state's Urban Development Corporation and the Housing Agency of Jamaica.
The agencies report to Holness as Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation.
In a report tabled in Parliament today, the commissioner's director of investigation Kevon Stephenson said the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation "failed" to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the building permit issued to Estatebridge Holdings Limited.
"Their paperwork relating to the three inspections they conducted suggest that the development was compliant at all stages," the investigator said of the KSAMC.
Stephenson said the permit allowed for the construction of four 2 bedroom units at 2 Weycliffe Close, Beverly Hills, St Andrew.
But following an inspection, he found four 4 bedroom townhouses.
He said the finding was consistent with a report provided by Brown in December 2023.
Holness' wholly owned company, Imperium Investment Holdings, along with one of his sons, a sister, and Brown are listed shareholders in Estatebridge, according to Companies Office of Jamaica records.
But Stephenson noted that based on information he received from the COJ in September, Imperium held shares at the time of Estatebridge's incorporation in July 2020, gave up some a yaer later and forfeited the rest in October 2022.
Sections 33 and 51 of the Integrity Commission Act empower the director of investigation to investigate irregularities around prescribed licences. The law says a prescribed licence is any licence or permit granted by a public body.
More to come.
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