Gov't makes interim payment to NTCS

The Government has made the interim payment of $370 million which the Court of Appeal had ordered it to pay to the lawyers representing the National Transport Co-operative Society (NTCS), which was led by late businessman Ezroy Millwood.

Attorney-at-law Patrick Bailey, who is representing the NTCS, confirmed yesterday that the money was paid this week to the law firm Bailey Terrelonge Allen.

The Government is challenging the $1.8-billion award by the Court of Appeal to the NTCS and has taken the issue to the United Kingdom Privy Council. The Government is contending that the award should not have been calculated from 2004 but instead from 2009 when the Privy Council ruled on the issue.

The NTCS and the Government have been engaged in a legal battle for more than a decade after it terminated the contract with NTCS to provide public transportation.

An undertaking has been given by the lawyers that the money will not be disposed of until the Court of Appeal determines the matter.

Ja can call witnesses in Myrie case

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has given the Jamaican Government the go-ahead to call four witnesses in the Shanique Myrie case.

Lawyers representing the Jamaican Government made the application to call witnesses via video link in the Supreme Court.

Myrie's attorney-at-law, Michelle Brown, made an application for the female Barbadian policewoman who is accused of assaulting Myrie to give a witness statement.

However, the judges said the court would call the policewoman as a witness instead of having the claimant's legal team go through that process.