Mayor knew all along

By Abe Dabdoub, Guest Columnist

The commentary by your political affairs reporter Gary Spaulding in The Sunday Gleaner of April 21, 2013, titled 'Azan, defiance and impeachment', clearly demonstrates the danger of drawing conclusions without knowledge of the facts. These are the facts:

1Bryant's Construction was the lowest bidder on a contract to refurbish the Spaldings Market. Its CEO is Mr John Bryant.

2 After work had commenced on the market, a discussion took place between North West Clarendon MP Mr Richard Azan and Mr Bryant about the need for additional shops for the market. Mr Bryant indicated he would be willing to undertake the building of the shops. Mr Azan advised him that he would have a word with the parish council.

3 Mr Azan had a discussion with the mayor of May Pen, Mr Scean Barnswell, about Mr Bryant building the shops for the market. The mayor told Azan that while there was a need for the shops, the council had no money to do so.

4 Upon Mr Azan advising the mayor that the contractor was prepared to build the shops from his own funds and come to some arrangement with the parish council regarding reimbursements, the mayor advised that on that basis, he would have no objection to the shops being constructed at the market and that Mr Bryant could go ahead.

5 In September 2012, a model of the shops being constructed was on display at the opening of the market. The mayor, councillors and others present saw the model and heard Azan, in his speech, mention that the shops were being constructed to move the vendors off the streets and to not allow Spaldings to become a "little shanty town". This was broadcast on television.

6 In October 2012, the building of the shops was discussed at the Commercial Services Committee and the decision taken to enter into negotiations with Bryant's Construction regarding a takeover of the shops.

7 Mr Azan subsequently advised Mr Bryant that if the funding for construction of the shops was being provided by Bryant's Construction on the basis of the company working out with the council how it would be compensated, the mayor had no objection to the shops being built, and it was, therefore, okay for him to construct the shops on that basis.

8 The shops which were constructed are easily moveable and did not require building approval. They are mounted on blocks, and a forklift would easily lift them and place them on a flatbed truck to be taken away.

9 Until the shops are handed over to the parish council, they are the property of Bryant's Construction.

10 It was decided with the vendors that the rent for the shops would be paid to Bryant's Construction, and they expressed a preference to have it collected by Bryant's at the constituency office of the MP.

11 Mr Bryant entrusted the collection of the rent to a secretary in the constituency office. No rent was paid to the MP, nor did he receive any benefit whatsoever.

12 In March, the parish council formally took possession of the shops and the entire sums collected as rent by Bryant's Construction paid over to the council to Bryant's.

Based on these indisputable facts, which were easily available to him at the time of writing his article, on what basis could your political reporter conclude that this episode is a "scandal"? What stretch of the imagination could have led him to compare these facts with the circumstances surrounding the Operation PRIDE affair, the John Junor affair (for which Mr Junor was acquitted by a court of competent jurisdiction), or the Trafigura matter, all of which constituted different facts. Is the political reporter unaware that he has a moral and legal duty to investigate and satisfy himself as to the facts?

In an effort to gain 'credibility' for his article, Mr Spaulding draws on the credibility of Mr Edward Seaga by referring to that gentleman's suggestions of a new paradigm for impeachment. It would serve Mr Spaulding to properly acquaint himself with the recommendations of that most honourable gentleman.

Finally, I would advise him and the rest of the commentariat to get the facts before they 'run their mouth' or 'flash their pen'.

Abe Dabdoub is a lawyer, and former MP. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and abedabdoub@yahoo.com.