Williams Calls Swaby’s Building Permit Criticism a Weak Attempt at Distraction

A weak attempt to distract from a lack of transparency and bad governance practices that have plagued the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, KSAMC, since the People’s National Party, PNP, reassumed control of the corporation.

That’s the reaction of deputy mayor of Kingston, Delroy Williams, to recent statements by current KSAMC chairman, Andrew Swaby.

While addressing the first monthly meeting of the KSAMC on Tuesday, Mayor Swaby laid blame for a breach of the building code at two controversial developments at the feet of his predecessor.

These are the 2-Weycliffe Close in Beverly Hills development and another at 18-and-a-half Lyndhurst Road.

According to Mr. Williams, Mayor Swaby is trying to conflate the two matters.

Pointing to the JACDEN development, Deputy Mayor Williams notes that at the time of the construction, PNP Councillor Dennis Gordon, sat on the KSAMC’s building committee and was chairman of the corporation’s finance committee and PNP regional chairman.

The JACDEN building at 18-and-a-half Lyndhurst Road was constructed without any of the requisite permits.

The KSAMC has since approved the amended as-built applications for both the 2 Weycliffe Close and 18-and-a-half Lyndhurst Road properties.

Mr. Williams says by attempting to lay blame at his feet, Mayor Swaby is seeking to distract the Jamaican people from the real issues.

Delroy Williams, deputy mayor of Kingston.

According to him, Mayor Swaby should provide an explanation to the country following PNP former caretaker, Lawrence Rowe’s revelation that the PNP plans to use KSAMC resources for partisan purposes in their bid to win the Central Kingston constituency.