The Marshalleck Commission of Inquiry to investigate the sale of government assets in the final years of the Barrow Administration has cost the government a tidy sum in damages awarded to former Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Deputy PM Hugo Patt. The damages were awarded because the report made untrue findings about the politicians, and it did not give them a chance to answer the charges against them.
And tonight, those awards of 185 thousand for Barrow and 145 thousand for Patt have been upheld by the Court of Appeal. Government brought in senior counsel Douglas Mendes to challenge the quantum of the awards, but the court upheld both. Plus, government has to bear the costs for the appeal. Additionally, large parts of the report have had to be removed due to unproven claims.
Dean Barrow appeared as Hugo Patt's attorney and Naima Barrow appeared for Dean Barrow.
Along with the 105 thousand dollars in damages awarded to Godwin Hulse, and these affirmed awards, the Marshalleck Commission of Inquiry will end up being one of the most costly to taxpayers in memory - and with legal costs the bill could run close to a million dollars.
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