MP Dennis Gordon snubs parliament’s Ethics Committee to answer questions about UHWI

Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Central Dennis Gordon has snubbed Parliament’s Ethics Committee after it summoned him to clarify comments he made at an earlier in-camera meeting in relation to an exemption granted to the opposition parliamentarian.

Committee chairman Marlene Malahoo Forte disclosed at this morning’s meeting that Gordon, in a letter to the committee, said he would not be in attendance as the committee did not have jurisdiction to question him on the matter.

Gordon made it clear that the Ethics Committee did not have the power to summon him without the full support of the House of Representatives, which approved the exemption motion.

In a swift response, Malahoo Forte said it was “most unfortunate” that the member responded in that manner.

She said Gordon’s response did not “sit well” with her as chairperson of the committee.

Committee member Anthony Hylton argued that Gordon was accurate in his claim that the committee lacked jurisdiction to address the matter, emphasising that it was the full House that granted him exemption to do business with the Government.

The committee had sought Gordon’s clarification on statements he made during a meeting in February concerning matters related to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) tax exemption issue.

UHWI officials confirmed more than two weeks ago that JACDEN, a company headed by Gordon, was one of four firms that benefited from the misuse of tax exemptions by the hospital.

Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis uncovered a litany of procurement and tax exemption breaches at UHWI in a performance audit of the institution, the findings of which were tabled in Parliament in January.

The committee concluded this morning that the matter should be referred to the full House for consideration before it can proceed any further on the issue.

- Edmond Campbell

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