KINGSTON, Jamaica — Former Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker says he is appealing today’s guilty verdict in his long-running case with the Office of the Contractor General (OCG).

The decision comes after Senior Parish Judge Tara Carr ruled that Walker failed to comply with a request from the OCG in a timely manner during the OCG’s probe of the export of scrap metal during Walker’s tenure at Customs in 2011.

Walker, who is managing director of the Jamaica Observer, told the newspaper that he paid the $5,000 fine imposed by the judge and said he had instructed his attorney to appeal as he was “not satisfied with the judgement”.

“I provided the information six business days after the contractor general’s deadline,” Walker said, adding that while extensions were granted he responded well within the 30 days prescribed under the Access to Information Act.

At the time the OCG sought the information, Walker was contesting the Manchester Central seat for the Jamaica Labour Party in the upcoming general election, which was eventually narrowly won by Peter Bunting after Walker entered the race seven weeks before election day.

“I maintain that I was not obstructing the contractor general’s investigation, but was out of town and had no access to the files and the information he sought,” Walker said.

Throughout the saga Walker has maintained his innocence and pointed out that while he was a public servant he never failed to cooperate with the contractor general.