THE Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) yesterday challenged the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) to censure its spokesman, Karl Samuda, over the “Noel Hylton Report” issue, but the Government answered with a censure motion just prior to the adjournment of the House.

Government backbencher, Donald Buchanan, moved the motion seeking to have Samuda, the JLP’s general secretary and spokesman on foreign affairs and foreign trade, censured for claiming that a report from Hylton on the controversial Sandals Whitehouse Hotel project was being hidden by the Government.

Opposition MPs noisily welcomed the motion, obviously spurred by a challenge from leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding, who stubbornly defended Samuda after House Leader Peter Phillips demanded a retraction and an apology from Samuda.

Phillips read into the records of the House a letter from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) CEO Marjorie Campbell (dated July 6) to Hylton, requesting a copy of the report, “so that we can be in a position to answer some of the queries now being directed at us, or if no such report was issued by you, that you confirm same to us”.

He also read Hylton’s response which stated that, “I did not submit a report to the former prime minister”.

Hylton also stated that “since there was no meeting of the minds, and at the same time a forensic audit was ordered, I did not think it was necessary to submit a report and, accordingly, did not submit one”.

Phillips said, too, that he had consulted Cabinet Secretary Carlton Davis, who confirmed that no such report was received by the Cabinet.

“I am therefore now calling on the honourable member from North Central St Andrew to withdraw the erroneous statements made by him and to apologise to this Honourable House, to the members of the Cabinet and to the people of Jamaica,” Phillips demanded.

But the JLP MPs insisted that even if the report did not reach the prime minister or the Cabinet it had been prepared by Hylton and a copy was received by Samuda.

“The minister has accused the member for North Central St Andrew of misleading the House and has demanded an apology,” said Golding. “I speak on behalf of the member to indicate to the House that he has no intention of either withdrawing, or apologising.

“I ask the minister, knowing as he does, the seriousness of the charges he has made against the member, and knowing as he does the remedies that are available, may I invite the minister to pursue those remedies,” Golding added.

Prior to this, Opposition MP Pearnel Charles had asked Phillips whether he knew if any document had been prepared by Hylton on the issue. Phillips insisted that Samuda had suggested that Hylton had submitted a report to the Cabinet and that the Cabinet was covering up the report and that this was not true.

Leader of Opposition Business Derrick Smith asked whether Phillips was denying that any document was prepared by Hylton and that he has no knowledge of the existence of this document.

“I am not denying that such a document may have been prepared (but) the allegation was that such a document was submitted…(but) a specific allegation was made which is erroneous,” Dr Phillips responded.