THERE were tense moments at Jamaica House yesterday as minister with responsibility for information, Sandrea Falconer, defended the decision taken by Cabinet regarding the embattled board of the National Housing Trust (NHT).

It appeared that the minister came prepared to answer questions on Government’s islandwide clean-up efforts in relation to the chikungunya virus, but journalists would not have it, as the first question to the minister concerned the ongoing Outameni controversy.

The Jamaica House post Cabinet press briefing teetered on the brink of a firestorm as a television reporter insisted on getting answers from the minister over what he said were conflicting reports from the prime minister and chairman of the NHT board over the $180-million purchase of the property which houses the Outameni Experience attraction.

The minister insisted, however, that she could only speak on behalf of the Cabinet.

“I cannot speak to those issues in terms of what the chairman said. I think I can speak to what the prime minister said, which I heard and heard in detail, so I’m not going to have any discussions at all about what the chairman said and what the inconsistencies of the chairman are.

There was a briefing and I believe you had the opportunity to ask him about those. “I know what the prime minister said; I know what the information is that we have, and that is what I am basing my answers off to you today,” said Falconer.

She told reporters that specific questions were asked of the prime minister to which she answered truthfully. “Those are the facts; she answered them truthfully, so I have nothing else to say on that matter.”

The reporter then questioned if the prime minister was fully satisfied that she was fully briefed about the purchase of the property to which the minister answered, “The prime minister and the Cabinet are satisfied… [and] let me remind you that the auditor general is now looking at the project and, of course, we will also await her findings, as well.

“What the prime minister presented was the correct information; I will say no more on the NHT matter. The prime minister will answer further questions next week; that is the end of the matter. I am not saying anymore here.

The chairman of the NHT has spoken, Cabinet has sent out a press release, and I think we should await when the prime minister answers questions in Parliament,” the information minister insisted.

But when the reporter, intent on probing for more answers, sought to continue his line of questioning, as he said this was the first chance the press has had to ask the Government about the contentious national issue, the microphone was abruptly taken away from him mid sentence by director of communications and public affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister, Huntley Medley.

This did not sit well with other members of the media, who reminded the information minister that it is National Journalism Week.

“We noticed that the microphone was physically taken from the journalist… we find this as an affront to freedom of the press and we object strongly to that, Minister,” one reporter argued.

The minister, in her defence, and in an authoritative tone said she would not be badgered by the media, claiming journalists were being unfair to her by asking questions she was not in a position to answer.

Meanwhile, the minister stood firm in defending the Cabinet’s decision on the NHT board.

“It was determined that the board did nothing wrong, based on the facts that we had, and the Cabinet took a decision that we would add additional members with more to come,” the minister told journalists.

The NHT board has come under public pressure recently for its $180-million purchase of the Outameni property and attraction in Trelawny, with calls for the resignation of chairman Easton Douglas and the remaining members and the appointment of new members.

Three board members resigned as the Outameni controversy mounted, while four members had resigned long before the issue went public.

On Monday, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, after a lengthy Cabinet meeting, announced the appointment of four additional members to the board, disregarding calls for the board to be sacked.