Port’s lawyers prepare defence

Friday,  March 10, 2006

The law firm of Ritch and Conolly, which is representing the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, is preparing the Government agency’s defence against two lawsuits over the Royal Watler Building, which is under renovation.

Ava Marzouca and Peter Campbell have taken out separate lawsuits against the Authority claiming that the government agency broke contracts with them.

They claim that the Port Authority agreed to lease one unit each in the Royal Watler Terminal Building, George Town harbour, but the Port Authority did not follow up on the agreement.

Last year both had applied to the Port Authority for units within the building when renovation is completed. The parties received generic letters informing them of how much space they would receive, the unit numbers and that they would be given a three-year lease.

According to the letters received by both plaintiffs, the Port Authority had allocated unit 4 at approximately 556 sq feet for Mrs Marzouca and for Mr Campbell unit 6, which is described as approximately 768 sq feet.

After the May 2005 Election and the change of Government both Mrs Marzouca and Mr Campbell were informed that McKeeva Bush, the former chairman of the Port Authority, had no power to make any agreement on behalf of the Authority.

The Land and Survey Department, which is acting as an agent for the Port Authority, told Mrs Marzouca to reapply for a unit in the building.

Both parties have asked that the Port Authority issue them the space that was guaranteed to them in the letters. 

Robert Jones, attorney from Ritch and Conolly told Cayman Net News that they are now preparing a defence for the Port Authority. 

“They do not have any merit to their case,” he said referring to the two complainants.

He said that Mrs Marzouca and Mr Campbell were never given a lease to sign and therefore they have nothing to claim.

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