Amory to receive EC$548,066.65
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN the wake of the judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal in the Election Petition filed by the Hon. Mark Brantley, costs to the tune of EC$2,147,568.62 has to be borne by Premier Joseph Parry, his former Deputy Hensley Daniel, former Elections Supervisor Pastor Leroy Benjamin and former Registration Officer Bernadette Lawrence.
Brantley, Deputy Leader of the Concerned Citizen’s Movement (CCM), revealed this information to members of the media yesterday morning (Oct. 15) at a Press Conference held at his party’s Headquarters in the Springates Building on Government Road, Nevis.
“We can report that costs in the election petition matter as currently calculated stand at EC$1,288,541.17 for the High Court trial. As per paragraph 92 of the Court of Appeal judgment, costs in the Court of Appeal will stand at two thirds of costs in the High Court. That works out at EC$859,027.45 for a global costs total due and payable of EC$2,147,568.62 including VAT.
“Pursuant to paragraph 92 of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal in the election petition appeal, Hensley Daniel, Joseph Parry, Bernadette Lawrence and Leroy Benjamin are jointly and severally liable to pay such costs,” Brantley said.
He noted that Premier Parry and Daniel have since applied to the Court of Appeal asking to be relieved of the burden of paying costs, which he claimed “means that Bernadette Lawrence and Leroy Benjamin in their view should pay the full sum”.
Brantley also spoke to the issue of costs awarded to the Leader of the CCM, the Hon. Vance Amory, by the High Court.
“The Press is aware that the ill-advised Commission of Inquiry started by the NRP against Mr. Amory has been struck down by the Court of Appeal as being tainted with perceived bias and that Mr. Amory has been awarded costs.
“We can report that costs in that matter as currently calculated stand at EC$285,075.77 for the High Court trial and EC$262,990.88 for the Court of Appeal hearing for a total of EC$548,066.65.”
He however declared that those figures might be adjusted slightly before being submitted for payment.
The Deputy Party Leader told media representatives that the Nevis Reformation Party has gone back to Court in that matter, seeking leave to appeal to the Privy Council.
“That matter,” he added, “is yet to be heard by the Court of Appeal. The CCM sees this as yet another effort to waste the taxpayers’ monies and call on this reckless NRP to cease and desist from this folly.”
Noting the position of Amory and the CCM, Brantley postulated that his party’s Leader is not afraid of any commission of inquiry “but has a right, as a matter of law, to have a commission which is fair and impartial without any taint of bias whether real or perceived”.
He however stressed that the only concern Amory has is the close connections of all the machinery of the Commission to the NRP, save and except Counsel to the Commission.
