Walker pleads not guilty

BY PAUL HENRY Crime/Court Desk co-ordinator henryp@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

FORMER Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker yesterday pleaded not guilty to two counts of breaching the Contractor General Act when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

The charges stem from allegations that Walker failed to provide information to the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) in relation to its probe into the breach of the Government's ban on the scrap metal trade and that he had obstructed the probe.

Following his plea, Walker was issued an April 5 mention date, at which time a trial date is expected to be set. Walker, who is represented by Dr Lloyd Barnett and Keith Bishop, faces a fine of $5,000 on each count.

Last October, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Cabinet placed a ban on scrap metal exports. Notwithstanding the order, 97 containers were shipped without Customs getting the requisite permit from the Trade Board.

A probe of the breach was conducted and Walker given a December 2 date by which to respond to questions posed by the OCG. Walker failed to meet the first deadline and was given an extension of December 15 which he also failed to meet.

Walker had said that he was unable to provide the information as he was out of office and did not have access to the documents. Additionally, he said he was busy with campaigning for the December 29, 2011 general election on a JLP ticket in Central Manchester.

The information, he said, was submitted in the week leading up to the election.

However, Contractor General Greg Christie recommended to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that Walker be charged with breaching the Contractor General Act.

That recommendation by Christie is now being challenged in the Supreme Court by Walker. The former Customs boss is contending that Christie does not have the jurisdiction to make such a recommendation.

On Monday, Walker applied to Justice David Fraser for a Judicial Review into Christie's decision. Fraser will on March 6 decide whether or not to grant the review.