Hylton in hot water - Businessman sues minister to recover US$120,000
Published:Sunday | June 2, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter
Minister of Investment, Industry and Commerce, Anthony Hylton, has found himself in a messy business deal which has resulted in him being slapped with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by prominent Corporate Area businessman Metry Seaga after Hylton allegedly failed to pay outstanding amounts for a four-bedroom house in Norbrook, St Andrew.
Seaga, deputy president of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association, told our news team that his lawyers filed the lawsuit late last week to recover approximately US$120,000 (J$12,000,000).
Seaga said he was forced to initiate the legal action as a last resort because he has been trying for years to amicably recover the funds owed to him by Hylton.
"I have been out of my money for six years. Promise after promise after promise has not borne fruit so I'm afraid that it has had to come to this.
"I hope that the minister finds it within himself to honour the debt and maybe we don't have to go any further with this because I am very uncomfortable with this matter of going to court, with Minister Hylton being a public official," said Seaga.
"I do have a promissory note signed by him and the money is outstanding and I need it to be paid. It has to do with the sale of a house and the figure of US$120,000 is the agreed figure. He took over the house and lived in there for years. There was a vendor's mortgage which he just didn't honour."
Admits he owes
When contacted, Hylton admitted that he owed Seaga approximately US$120,000.
He explained that it
was his intention to pay and he was banking on doing so by selling a
property he owned, but not being able to dispose of that property
grossly handicapped his ability to honour his obligation to
Seaga.
"I actually lived in the premises for over a
three-year period. We made the arrangements to pay but I could not
conclude on the transaction because the property which I expected to be
sold became embroiled in a lawsuit not of my making," said
Hylton.
According to the Cabinet minister, he is
hoping for an out-of-court settlement as plans are far advanced on the
sale of a property that should allow him to pay what he owes by next
week.