A&B: Gov’t loses to former MSJMC board chairman’s appeal

By Tameika Malone
The government will have to pay the former chairman of the Board of the Mount St John’s Medical Centre (MSJMC), Milton Pringle, for terminating him without legal authority.

Yesterday, a panel of justices in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court allowed Pringle’s appeal, and indicated that it would make its written decision available soon.

This means that Pringle won the appeal against the High Court decision of Judge Brian Cottle, who dismissed his claim that Minister of Health Molwyn Joseph and the government unlawfully terminated him in June 2014, just days after the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party got into office.

The appellant, through his lawyer Justin Simon QC, initiated legal action in the High Court against Joseph, Attorney General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Sean Deschamps.

Pringle was appointed to the Board on April 2, 2012 for a period of three years, under the United Progressive Party (UPP) administration. When the new administration was voted in on June 12, 2014, the chairman still had time left on his contract. The ABLP issued a public service announcement indicating that all statutory board members are to resign.

Simon QC said upon hearing this, Pringle wrote to the then Deputy Solicitor General, Martin Camacho, to inform him that he was willing to resign since the government requested it. Camacho advised him he needed to do so in writing to the minister.(The Daily Observer)

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