Shaw vows Finsac enquiry will be completed
FINANCE Minister Audley Shaw vowed yesterday that the Commission of Enquiry into the 1990s financial sector meltdown will be completed despite the setback by a court injunction.
Speaking at the Area Council One meeting of the Jamaica Labour Party in Papine, St Andrew, Shaw said while he was mindful of the injunction stopping the enquiry which was granted by the Supreme Court on February 12, once the matter was out of the courts it would be revived.
The court suspended any further sittings of the commission until the Judicial Review Court heard and determined claims made against chairman of the commission, retired Court of Appeal Judge Boyd Carey.
Several claimants, including the former finance minister, Dr Omar Davies, had filed a motion alleging that Justice Carey had also had debt with the Financial Sector Adjustment Company (Finsac) and as such could not preside over such hearings.
But, according to Shaw, it was nothing more than a witchhunt to stop the enquiry.
“Omar Davies and his clique don’t want the Commission of Enquiry to take place because there are lots of questions that have to be answered. The People’s National Party don’t want the story to be told. The matter is in court and I don’t want to say anymore until the time comes.
“…This Government is going to ensure that whether it is today, tomorrow or next year there will be a completion of the enquiry into the financial sector collapse. We are going to ensure we know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” Shaw told cheering green-clad party supporters.
Shaw, meanwhile, said he would be suing persons who have publicly accused him of having debts written off by Finsac.
“I have lawsuits against half of them already because I had no personal loans with Finsac. I had companies that got bitten like so many other people. I don’t do anything illegal; I just got bitten by Omar Davies like everybody else. Finsac must apologise to me too. I never asked for no write-off,” said Shaw.
He added: “Yuh coulda run high, yuh coulda run low.… there will be a successful completion of the enquiry into Finsac,” Shaw said.
