George: Jearlean fired for being ‘disrespectful’

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Corporation chairman Newman George yesterday insisted fired managing director Jearlean John was “disrespectful” to the board at a meeting, and this led to her being summarily terminated the next day.

He was being cross-examined by John’s attorney Gerald Ramdeen in the HDC’s defence before Justice Kevin Ramcharan at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain.

In her wrongful-dismissal lawsuit, John is claiming she was fired without proper reason and is seeking $17 million in compensation from the corporation.

She was accused of being hostile and disrespectful at the March 21, 2016, meeting at which she was asked about the leasing of two high-end vehicles– a Mercedes Benz and a Range Rover– and the board decided, according to George, to fire her.

John said she felt “ambushed,” since she had made various attempts to get an agenda for the meeting from the acting corporation secretary. She also said she told the board that any issues or concerns they had for her to address could be put in writing and she would respond.

In his testimony, George said John’s request to the corporate secretary not unreasonable. He also said he “might have told” the corporate secretary to “block” John, because he preferred her to contact him directly. He said this was because the corporate secretary was new to the HDC and the board did not want her to know what was on the agenda.

George said John did not express unwillingness to attend the meeting, and from the time he was appointed as chairman on November 23, 2015, up to her dismissal, there was not a time when he gave her an instruction that she did not carry out.

“Nothing previously transpired for me to hold the view that she’d be uncooperative,” George said.

He also said there were no preconceived notions about John before the meeting of March 21, but that she “behaved in a way for us to lose confidence in her.” He also said there were no minutes of that meeting, but he and another board member took notes.

He also said John’s refusal to sign a letter when she was sent on administrative leave on December 17, 2015, was also considered a form of disrespect. John and seven other managers were sent on leave to facilitate an audit of the corporation’s operations.

Part of the HDC’s defence includes claims that John failed to carry out her duties competently, with due care and skill and this led to her dismissal. Some 15 transactions, which included approving payment in excess of $100,000 and preferred tendering for some contracts, were listed as the complaints. Also mentioned in the list was her alleged failure to prevent a note being taken to the HDC board for the payment of $81 million to a contractor.

However, during George’s evidence, he was referred to HDC policy changes which allowed for preferred tendering of certain contractors for areas considered high-risk, as well as delegation of financial authority which gave the managing director the spending power of up to $1 million for emergency cases.

Much of the claims contained in the HDC’s defence were derived from the audit report which PriceWaterhouseCoopers handed over to then Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General Stuart Young on May 9, 2018. George admitted that he did not disclose the contents of the audit, but only pulled from it what he thought was relevant.

The trial continues with another witness from the HDC expected to testify.