Bushing contractor hits out at OCG

One of the contractors in the Government’s controversial $600 million de-bushing programme is taking issue with the Contractor General Dirk Harrison.

Tyrone Robinson is charging that Harrison is giving the wrong impression that he’s avoiding the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) in an attempt sidestep its probe into the programme.

On Tuesday, Harrison made a public appeal for Robinson, who is also the Chairman of the North East Health Authority, to make himself available so that a summons can be served on him to appear before OCG investigators probing the matter.

He stated that his office has tried unsuccessfully for two weeks to locate Robinson and that’s why his office sought the public’s help.

However, Robinson says it is the OCG that has been delinquent in contacting him.

According to him, he did not hear from the OCG for four months.

The state agency chairman says he only heard from the OCG on Tuesday and was subsequently informed by an official at the authority that a summons was served at the agency requesting that he appear at the office today.

Robinson says he accepted the summons.

He says he was left surprised at news reports on the same day that office could not locate him.

Robinson says the action of the OCG has injured his character and he has retained a lawyer.

At the same time, he says he will make himself available to appear at the OCG today.

Harrison has said that his probe of the multimillion dollar project will be wrapped up after he speaks with Robinson.

The OCG launched a probe into the de-bushing programme late last year after it developed into a political issue because it was launched 10 days before last November's local government elections.