Carlene Smith and Danhai WilliamsPolice are still searching for businessman Danhai Williams following the recent issuing of a bench warrant for his arrest, and the prolonged breaches of his bail condition in the Operation PRIDE case.
Williams has been missing since the fraud squad obtained an arrest warrant to investigate breaches of his bail conditions.
"It (investigations) [will] soon be completed," said Superintendent Doric Sinclair, head of the Kingston Eastern Police Division in which the Rollington Town Police Station falls. Mr. Williams was ordered to report there.
"When the investigation is completed, we are going to find him," Supt. Sinclair said. He was unable, however, to say how soon the investigations would to be completed.
The superintendent had ordered investigations into Williams' breaches after he failed to report weekly to the Rollington Town Police Station as required by the court. The Bail Act however, stipulates that police do not need warrants to arrest people who breach the terms of bail. The law states that the police must take the offender to court within 24 hours of the arrest, after which a judge would determine whether bail should be revoked.
Williams was given bail after he was charged with defrauding the Government of $450 million in Operation PRIDE housing projects. Five other men and a woman were also charged in the case and were granted bail.
lawsuit
In addition to fraud charges, a lawsuit was recently brought against Williams' company, Danwill's Construction Limited, by the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) for the misappropriated funds. Williams' company was contracted by the NHDC to construct housing solutions under Government's Operation PRIDE projects in Melbrook Heights, St. Benedict Heights, Morant Farm and Riverton City.
According to the suit, filed in October 2003, NHDC's investigations revealed that there was a substantial discrepancy between the value of work as certified by payment certificates and the actual work done by Danwill Construction.
overpaid
This resulted in Danwill being overpaid. The projects were to have been completed over a five-year period. NHDC is claiming interest on the $450 million misallocated funds. The interest is to be paid at commercial bank rates.
Danwill's Construction also recently lost a suit against Moby Dick Restaurant in downtown Kingston. Moby Dick claimed $1.3 million in damages in March, plus a six per cent per annum interest rate, after the claimant supplied Danwill's Construction with food and other refreshments at the opening of the Riverton Mews housing project.
Williams, a prominent People's National Party (PNP) activist, is engaged to former 'Dancehall Queen' Carlene Smith. He is to return to the Half-Way Tree Court on December 14 to face charges resulting from the Operation PRIDE fraud.
With the police's inability to locate the PNP activist, the Supreme Court was forced to continue the trial of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Reneto Adams without Williams' testimony. SSP Adams and five other policemen are on trial for the murder of four civilians at Kraal, Clarendon on May 7, 2003.
Mr. Williams had given a statement to the police, but could not be found to testify in the case. A bench warrant was then issued for his arrest.
