Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter

SAMUDA

The censure motion brought against Opposition Member of Parliament for North Central St. Andrew, Karl Samuda, was yesterday passed in the House of Representatives unopposed as members of the Opposition walked out in protest.

The motion has been referred to the Privileges Committee to recommend the appropriate sanctions to be applied.

Among other things, Mr. Samuda could be suspended or expelled.

Government backbencher, Donald Buchanan last month moved the motion against Mr. Samuda as he accused him of misleading the House in making claims that Noel Hylton, the Port Authority of Jamaica chairman, had submitted a report to the Cabinet and former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson on the Sandals Whitehouse project.

Mr. Buchanan, in opening the debate, sought to show how Mr. Samuda misled the House by using excerpts from Hansard, drawn from speeches made previously in the House by Mr. Samuda.

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"What I have indicated here is truly, Mr. Speaker, a case of cock mouth kill cock," he said. "Mr. Speaker, the word of the Hon. Noel Hylton, one of the finest public servants to ever serve this country, he said no such report was ever submitted."

But Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding in his contribution to the debate, made a surprising countermove to the motion when he circulated a copy of Mr. Hylton's report.

This was not without futile efforts by Government members to prevent the circulation of the document. Government Members Sharon Hay-Webster, Fitz Jackson and O.T. Williams on a point of order, said the document could not be circulated.

But House Speaker, Michael Peart, ruled in favour of Mr. Golding. Mr. Golding then proceeded to prove the authenticity of the report with the circulation of the document. He also quoted extensively from the document.

"What is to be the faith of this censure motion? They have the force of numbers and they will no doubt seek to use the force of numbers to carry through the censure motion," he pointed out. "But in my view, it will be a corrupt use of the majority that you have."

When the Speaker refused to allow a debate on the Nigerian oil deal which the Opposition charged exposed the corrupt practices of the Government, Mr. Golding led a walkout by the Opposition.