The court-ordered deadline for Speaker of the House Michael Carrington to settle a civil case with a former client has expired, but while admitting that no money has been forthcoming, both the claimant and his attorney were today tightlipped about what the next step would be.
Speaker of the House Michael Carrington.
Exactly a week ago when 78-year-old John Griffiths spoke with Barbados TODAY in an extensive interview, he spoke freely, saying he would even ask the court to order the seizure of Carrington’s assets to get the $210,000 owing him from the sale of one of his late aunt’s properties.
But today, he sidestepped all questions posed to him, saying he did not know what his next course of action would be or how long he was willing to wait for his former lawyer to pay up.
“My lawyer is looking into it [the next course of action],” Griffith responded. “It is up in the air, I don’t know what to do.”
John Griffiths
When contacted, his attorney Khamal Collymore also said: “We are not willing to comment at this stage.”
On December 9, 2014, Madame Justice Jacqueline Cornelius issued an order requiring Carrington to render an account of all sums belonging to Griffiths’ aunt’s estate within 28 days, and pay all monies shown by the same account to be due, along with interest retroactive to May 13, 2014, until payment was made.
The matter has been a point of public debate and contention in the House of Assembly, with Carrington recusing himself from the Speaker’s chair last week when it was raised in Parliament.
However, he returned to the chair on Tuesday, with the strong backing of Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.
But the Opposition Barbados Labour Party, whose members staged walkouts on Tuesday, insisted it would not be attending Parliament as long as Carrington is sitting in the chair.
Carrington’s controversial issue has been referred to the Committee of Privileges and the Opposition has made it clear that the Speaker should not oversee any of Parliament’s proceedings until his case was determined.