Company Linked To Prime Minister Cited For Building Breaches

A company linked to Prime Minister Andrew Holness has come under scrutiny from the Integrity Commission for breaches of the Building Act and violations of terms outlined in a building permit issued by the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, KSAMC.

The Investigation was triggered following receipt of a report alleging irregularities in the development and building approval processes relating to property owned by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

That company Estatebridge Holdings also lists his son, Adam Holness as a director.

The commission’s report established that Dr. Holness is connected to a development at 2 Weycliffe Close, Kingston 6, through Admat Incorporated.

Mr. Holness was the original owner of the land, and the sole director, shareholder, and beneficial owner of Imperium, a company that previously held shares in Estatebridge at the time of the permit being granted on July 12, 2021.

Although Imperium later relinquished its shares in October 2022, the report deemed it highly likely that the development at 2 Weycliffe Close is the focus of the allegations.

The KSAMC had granted approval for the construction of four two-bedroom townhouses.

However, upon inspection, the development was found to consist of four-four-bedroom townhouses, representing a clear breach of the permit. According to the Integrity Commission, this violation contravenes the Building Act.

The commission further highlighted attempts by key individuals to mislead investigators.

It pointed to inconsistent statements from Norman Brown, a director of Estatebridge, who initially admitted in December 2023 that the development consisted of four four-bedroom townhouses.

He later contradicted this during a formal investigation.

Contractor Kennado Nesbeth also reportedly misrepresented the situation, despite his role in designing the building plans and his contractual obligation to ensure compliance with the permit.

The commission concluded that the breaches were deliberate. He found that the directors of Estatebridge had prior knowledge of the permit.

The report also criticised the KSAMC for failing to ensure compliance with the building permit. Though their records indicated that the development had passed inspections, the Commission’s findings revealed otherwise.

The Integrity Commission issued several recommendations to address the breaches, including an administrative review of KSAMC’s compliance mechanisms, enhanced post-permit monitoring, and measures to “corruption-proof” the system.

It also called for legislation to impose financial penalties on developers who deliberately violate building permits for profit, with profits from such breaches forfeited.

Notably, the Commission refrained from referring the matter to the director of public prosecutions, citing a previous ruling in a similar case.

Instead, the report has been referred to the KSAMC for appropriate action.