Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter

The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) yesterday denied claims made by Contractor General Greg Christie and the forensic audit team, that it had refused to provide vital information requested by them.

The UDC, which was accused by both Christie and the forensic audit team of poor management practices on the controversial Sandals Whitehouse project, on which there were US$43 million in cost overruns, also said that it would not be answering questions in relation to costs or time equity.

Marjorie Campbell, the president and chief executive officer of the UDC, who was appearing before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the first time yesterday, dismissed claims by the Contractor General that the agency had deliberately withheld information from his office.

"At the time that these requests were made, our external audit was in progress, the forensic audit was in progress and it was just a mere oversight of the officer," Campbell said. "There is no reason for us to not want to send the information to the Contractor General."

Mrs. Campbell said that of the nine documents requested by the Contractor General, seven had been forwarded to him and that only two documents had not been sent.

These, she said were the site meeting minutes and copies of revised and original cash-flow (statements) on the project. Mrs. Campbell said the UDC had promised the Contractor General that the documents would have been sent to him.

"These were copied but inadvertently not sent," she told members of the PAC.

Unconvinced

But Opposition Member Clive Mullings was unconvinced.

"The Contractor General, in requiring information, has the status of a Supreme Court Judge. Are you telling us Mrs. Campbell, that you are waiting on the Contractor General to remind you of the things that you have not sent, although you have indicated that you have not sent them?" he asked.

Mrs. Campbell however insisted that it had been an "oversight" and not a deliberate attempt to conceal information. She, however, noted that the two items were only sent to the Contractor General after he had completed and submitted his report to Parliament.

The UDC head also denied claims made by the forensic audit team that it had only received 19 of 38 payment certificates.

She told the PAC that the agency would not be able to answer questions relating to cost overruns and time equity on the project as the matter was currently before the courts.