Was the Marshalleck Commission of inquiry a political misadventure plotted by the Briceno administration? Prime Minister John Briceno shared with the media on Friday that he is disappointed at the fact that a procedural error was made, an error that is now costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, Briceno says that the legal liabilities racked up have to do with procedural failings, not a fault in factual findings. Dean Barrow - who has successfully sued the Commission - disagrees - here are both sides:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"These formers minister was not fighting to say that we were innocent. They were saying you did not give me a chance to come in front of the commission. It was a procedural error and I am disappointed that that procedural error was done, because now it is costing us. If they people were given and allowed the opportunity to be able to come, there would be no reason why they would be able to challenge that report. The point of the matter was that the report was factual. They're not fighting on the facts, they're fighting on the procedure and that's important to point out."
Dean Barrow, Former Prime Minister
"What they said was that Godwin Hulse had acquired a Mahindra, and that was simply not true. Godwin Hulse bought his own Mahindra. It had nothing to do with an acquisition of a fleet that was with vehicle management. So what is the Prime Minister talking about? He was not even called before the commission so he had no chance to say to the commission, no, no- My Mahindra is what I went to the store and bought. So that right away explodes the nonsense that the Prime Minister is talking and so the Prime Minister cannot get away from the fact that- that was a massive, monumental cockup."
According to Barrow he has not received any payments from the current administration, which is appealing the aunt of the award.
