Trelawny officials ‘not aware’ Chuck offered to repair Falmouth courthouse

Western Bureau:

Reacting to claims by Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, Falmouth Mayor Colin Gager and Wayne Palmer, chief executive officer of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, have said they were unaware of an offer by the justice ministry to repair a collapsed section of the Falmouth Parish Court.

Speaking with The Gleaner last week, Chuck said the offer was not accepted by the municipal corporation.

“We were concerned about the collapsed ceiling and offered to fix it. This offer was rejected by the municipality,” Chuck said. “We were told that the building belongs to the municipality and that they will fix it.”

The building, which is one of Falmouth’s historic Georgian buildings, is shared by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation and the Falmouth Parish Court. It also serves as a town hall and a centre for cultural activities.

A section of the roof of the courthouse collapsed on March 23 while court was in session but luckily, no one was hurt. That session was completed in the passageway outside of the courthouse and, since then, cases scheduled for Falmouth have been transferred to the Duncans courthouse, some 11 miles away.

When Palmer was asked to comment on Chuck’s claim, he said he was not aware that such an offer was made, but noted that it might have been made to another official of the municipality.

“I am not aware of such an offer. You can speak to the mayor on that,” said Palmer, who appeared surprised when he was told what Chuck had said.

When Gager was contacted he was also surprised, declaring his ignorance to the offer, which, he said, he would have gladly welcomed as the roof remains in need of repair.

“I am not aware of any such offer. They (the Ministry of Justice) are our clients, and we would be very happy to be offered such kindness,” said Gager. “They could sit down with the municipality and work out the cost to repair the ceiling, and recoup their expense over a period from the rent they would normally pay on a monthly basis.”

Chuck, while speaking with The Gleaner, also expressed frustration with the time it has been taking to have the proposed new courthouse for Falmouth constructed.

“There was a meeting with the prime minister, the Ministry of Justice, the minister of finance, the chief justice, and technocrats eight months ago and we all agreed that the courthouse should be built,” said Chuck.

“The procedures relating to giving the go-ahead are still being worked on.”

Chuck added: “The slow pace is causing much frustration. It is one of the challenges I face in the eight years since I have been involved with the Government. I chuckle over it because I can’t cry.”