Dr. Vin Lawrence, the former chairman of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), and representatives of Nevalco Consultants, are to be summoned to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) next week to answer questions relating to the cost overruns at the controversial Sandals Whitehouse hotel project.

The decision was taken during yesterday's sitting of the PAC at which it was determined that the answers provided by Marjorie Campbell, current president and chief executive officer of the UDC, were insufficient.

Mrs. Campbell was unable to explain how the overruns were incurred and what caused a breakdown in the processes of approval of expenditure by the UDC.

While being questioned by PAC Chairman Audley Shaw, Mrs. Campbell revealed that not all increased expenditures were approved by the UDC, but offered no explanation for why those increases were not approved.

No direct responsibility

During the proceedings, Opposition committee member Delroy Chuck suggested that Mrs. Campbell's inability to answer the questions may have been as a result of her having no direct responsibility on site. He suggested that Dr. Lawrence and other representatives be called in.

Alston Stewart, who formerly chaired the Board of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, which resigned en bloc last year, is associated with Nevalco. However, it was not immediately clear whether he will be asked to appear before the PAC.