Transport minister heads to Gordon House to disclose full details on the $50 million spent on house by the Port Authority for him to live in, Yet to start paying monthly rental of $20,000

Transport and works minister Mike Henry has chosen Gordon House to attempt to put to bed the controversy surrounding the approximately $50 million purchase and upgrade of the state-owned house he now calls home.

Sunday Gleaner investigations had revealed that a total of $60 million had been spent for the acquisition and maintenance of the house.

The Sunday Gleaner's revelation of the Port Authority of Jamaica's purchase and refurbishment of the house, which was part of the assets of the defunct Jamaica Omnibus Service (JOS), triggered a firestorm of criticisms.

In an interview with The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre, last week, an embattled Henry said he was going to take the controversial house issue to Gordon House.

"I am preparing a complete statement, which I will make to Parliament, and or release to the public, in the course of the next seven to 10 days.

"It depends on when Parliament may be recalled, but I am preparing a full statement now and will cover my actions since taking office, because I should finish all my research on the whole structure of the ownership by the end of this week to early next week," the minister said.

An aide to the minister, who asked not to be named, told our news team that Henry's planned statement would be comprehensive and conclusive and it should put the sore housing matter to rest.

The minister is to pay $20,000 per month as rent for the property located at 5 Millsborough Crescent, St Andrew, comprising a dwelling house with helper's quarters, a pool and other amenities.

$20,000 rent

However, the Port Authority has revealed that Henry has not been paying the proposed $20,000 monthly rental for the upscale house. According to the authority, a lease agreement was sent to the minister for signing, with the proposed monthly rental effective June 2008, but it said the transport minister was yet to sign the agreement.

The prolonged public dispute over the purchase and upgrade of the upper St Andrew property is being fuelled by the poor state of the national economy.

In outlining its expenditure, the Port Authority said between October and November 2007, the house was valued at $65 million by the National Land Agency, and at $60-$65 million by a private entity called Allison Pitter and Company.

But the authority said the sale agreement was signed for an agreed purchase price of $35-million, which is subject to Cabinet approval.

The authority said another $14.46 million dollars was spent to upgrade the house.

poor condition

This includes $12.32 million for what the Port Authority called extensive work relating to the revamping of the piping system, roof repairs, general refurbishing, equipment, appliances and painting. According to the Port Authority, the other $2.14 million was spent on the construction of a gabion retaining wall. This puts the grand total for the purchase of the house and the repairs at $49.46 million.

Henry has been reported in the media as justifying the expenses, suggesting that the house was in poor condition and he was not accustomed to living in squalor. Last week, Henry's ministry released 10 photographs seeking to support his claim. The pictures indicate that there were missing wall tiles from two bathrooms at the house, sections of the ceiling had watermarks due to a leaking roof, and one of the cupboards had been partly torn down.

See the photos released by the ministry at www.go-jamaica.com/gallery.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com