Former Government ministers K.D. Knight (left) and John Junor (back to camera) converse with Audley Shaw, chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), before the start of yesterday's PAC meeting at Gordon House. The PAC is currently examining breakdowns in procedures on the Sandals Whitehouse project which wracked up more than $2 billion in cost overruns. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has indicated that it might not summon former chairman of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) board, Dr. Vin Lawrence, in relation to the controversial Sandals Whitehouse project.

PAC Chairman Audley Shaw told members of the PAC yesterday that the current head of the UDC, Marjorie Campbell, would be summoned first and if she cannot provide the required information, then the PAC would ask Dr. Lawrence to appear before the committee.

"Well, quite frankly, you know, unless the members have a specific desire to speak to Dr. Lawrence ... our tradition here is that we speak to the executive people who are in charge of the various organisations at the time when we are examining an issue," said Mr. Shaw.

The Opposition Member of Parliament was responding to information related by Government member K.D. Knight that Dr. Lawrence would be off the island from September 24 to October 8.

Dr. Lawrence had resigned from the UDC board shortly after the tabling of the Contractor General's Report which accused the UDC of gross mismanagement of the project, which resulted in cost overruns of more than US$43 million.

The PAC is currently examining breakdowns in procedures on the project and will recommend appropriate action to be taken to protect the public purse in the future.

Christie summoned

At yesterday's meeting, the committee decided that Contractor General, Greg Christie, would be the first person to be summoned before the PAC next week Tuesday in connection with the scandal-plagued hotel project.

The committee had voted against a recommendation made earlier by Mr. Shaw that all partners involved in the project should be the first set of persons to be summoned.

But Government member K.D. Knight recommended that it would be best for the Contractor General and the forensic audit team to be allowed to clarify both reports tabled recently in Parliament before the other parties appear.

- D.R.