It has been announced that the payment of compensation will begin within days to the residents of West Kingston who suffered losses and property damage during the May 2010 security forces operation.
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck last night told RJR News that arrangements are being made for payouts to begin. This came hours after Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry said there was no indication from the Government when the West Kingston victims would be compensated.
The report of the West Kingston Compensation Committee tabled in the House of Representatives on Wednesday revealed that scores of persons will receive payouts mainly for damage to their house and contents when the police and military conducted operations during the hunt for Christopher “Dudus” Coke.
The revised 2017/2018 budget includes $449 million to compensate the West Kingston victims.
The report of the West Kingston Compensation Committee revealed that in some instances the minimum wage was used to calculate the amount to be paid to the estate of those killed during the May 2010 security forces operation.
In cases where there was no documentary proof of earnings but sufficient information to conclude that the deceased was employed or had prospects of being gainfully employed, the minimum wage was applied in the assessment process. The Committee said information relating to the deceased person’s living expenses was imprecise in most cases.
Submissions were made by lawyers representing their estates as to what would be the likely percentage of the individual’s income that would have been spent on personal expenses.
The Attorney General has not challenged this approach and accepted, in most instances, the proposed percentages by the lawyers.
You must log in to post a comment.