Barbara Gayle and Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporters
DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn has ruled that former Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker must be charged with failure to comply within the prescribed time, with regard to a request from the Office of the Contractor General (OCG).
The ruling was made on January 26 and sent to the commissioner of police.
A date has not yet been set for Walker to appear before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court to answer the charges.
If found guilty, Walker could be slapped with a $5,000 fine.
It is reported that Walker did comply days after the deadline set by the OCG.
Walker is also to face a second charge for obstructing the OCG in its probe into the Jamaica Customs Department’s alleged illegal export of scrap metal in contravention of a standing Cabinet/ministerial order without first securing the requisite government licences or authorisations.
Impeded investigation
Contractor General Greg Christie had complained that Walker’s failure to cooperate with the OCG’s probe, and to comply with its lawful requisition, had seriously obstructed and impeded the progress of his investigation which commenced on November 4, 2011.
Walker, in responding to the contractor general through his attorneys, questioned whether the OCG had authority under the Contractor General’s Act to conduct its investigation.
When Christie issued his final ultimatum in December 2011 for Walker to comply with a request of the OCG, the former Customs boss through his attorney said: “…We will not be frightened by your deadline of December 9, 2011. If it is convenient for us, we will comply, and if not we will use our options in law to protect our client from any further abuse from your office.”