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Fired OCG workers take contractor general to court
Saturday, July 04, 2009
THREE former employees of the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) were yesterday granted ex parte leave for a judicial review into their dismissal from the organisation.
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| CHRISTIE. could be asked to tell court reasons for dismissals |
Justice Donald McIntosh granted leave yesterday for a judicial review into the firing of the three. A date for the hearing is to be announced.
The three - Dwight Reid and Lafete Edghill, both managers in the Technical Services Department of the OCG, and architect Donnette Spence - were fired on April 30, with immediate effect.
The dismissals were triggered by allegations that the three had been withholding information regarding an attempt to "corrupt the Government Contractor Registration process" - a breach of the ninth clause of their contracts.
Another worker, alleged to be part of the attempt to "corrupt" the registration process, was asked to resign at the end of a probe into
the matter.
Last month, the three filed an application seeking judicial review of the dismissals.
The claimants will be asking the court for an order to quash the decision of the contractor general, Greg Christie. They are also seeking a declaration that the reasons Christie gave for the dismissals amounted to "an abuse of his office".
The three, who have worked at the Office of the Contractor General for a total of 27 years, are also seeking damages.
Attorney Cavelle Johnston, who yesterday appeared in court with senior counsel Derrick McKoy - both instructed by the firm Williams, McKoy and Palmer - told the Observer, shortly after securing leave, that the rights of her clients to due process were breached.
Johnston said that her clients were denied the right to a fair hearing and a chance to defend themselves against any allegations of a breach of their contracts when they were fired without being given the required three months' notice.
"The principle of natural justice was breached. How can you tell what happened, if there was no meaningful inquiry conducted?" Johnston said.
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