Jamaica’s International Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith dedicated no breach associated to company donations to her failed bid for the submit of Commonwealth Secretary Common, the Supreme Courtroom has dominated.
The choice by a single decide was handed down on Wednesday, ending for now a lawsuit filed by Wilfred Rattigan, a Jamaican-born retired United States (US) legislation enforcement agent.
The court docket additionally dominated that Rattigan, who was born and raised in Waterhouse, St Andrew, doesn’t have authorized standing to file the lawsuit, the previous US FBI particular agent confirmed to The Gleaner.
He has been ordered to pay Johnson Smith’s authorized value.
Nevertheless, Rattigan stated the court docket granted permission for him to enchantment the choices inside the subsequent 14 days.
Banking govt Keith Duncan and Jamaican conglomerates GraceKennedy and Musson Group contributed to the cost of US$99,000 or J$15 million to the American agency Finn Companions for public relations companies supplied to Johnson Smith’s commonwealth secretary common marketing campaign, Data Minister Robert Morgan disclosed final September.
Different donors didn’t consent to having their names disclosed, Morgan stated.
However a Could 1, 2023 submitting by the Finn Companions below the FARA revealed 4 others – Sandals Resorts Worldwide, The Jamaica Nationwide Group Restricted, AIC Barbados Restricted, and Barita Investments Restricted.
The lawsuit sought a declaration that each Johnson Smith and the Ministry of International Affairs and International Commerce didn’t adjust to the legislation and a directive by the Finance Ministry that require them to report the donation as a present.
It was filed in April this yr after Rattigan waited months for the finance ministry to reply to an entry to info request for particulars concerning the cost, together with the associated present acceptance type and due-diligence report detailing the supply of the funds, he instructed this newspaper.
However in an affidavit accompanying her software for the lawsuit to be dismissed, Johnson Smith stated, Rattigan doesn’t seem to have “ample curiosity” to file the declare.
– Livern Barrett/Jamaica Gleaner
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