MORE QUESTIONS are being raised about the purchase of six and a half acres of land at Ferry, St Catherine, by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

The land, which houses the Hydel Group of Schools, was recently purchased by the UDC from Delco Supplies Limited and Cowan Amusement Limited.

Amid growing concerns about the purchase, Prime Minister Bruce Golding last Tuesday defended the $168.7-million deal, arguing that the corridor was part of plans for the expansion of the Kingston Metropolitan Region.

"We envisage that in the very near future, Kingston and Spanish Town, along with Portmore, will become one huge metropolis," Golding told Parliament.

UDC approved purchase

He said the purchase was approved by the board of the UDC in keeping with the Government's development plan for the area.

But, Sunday Gleaner sources close to the UDC claim that technical staff at the state entity had warned against the purchase. An internal report submitted to the board made it clear that the decision to purchase the land would not be in the best interest of the UDC.

The sources further allege that the UDC did not have the money to purchase the property and had to turn to the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) for a loan. The administration itself unsuccessfully sought financing from the DBJ as well as the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund.

It is alleged that the administration then instructed the board of the UDC to make the purchase.

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has called a media briefing at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters tomorrow to discuss the matter.

"We are not satisfied with the explanation given by the prime minister in his statement to Parliament. We have been gathering information on the matter and we will be speaking to it on Monday, Simpson Miller told The Sunday Gleaner.