The Opposition spokesperson on environment and ecological heritage, Senator Sophia Frazer-Binns, is seeking answers over the interdiction by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) of the whistleblower who bright to light serious breaches at the Charlemont Drive apartment development in St Andrew.

Reports are that the officer who first raised alarm over the reported breaches at the development, identified as Rhyan Henry, was placed on interdiction last week for failing to carry out established enforcement procedures for the monitoring of the development.

Frazer-Binns said the Opposition is concerned about the surprise development in the matter.

“Mr Henry is the one that highlighted the breach, and it is because of this why the Opposition finds it very concerning that he has been placed on interdiction. It raises serious questions about the repercussions for persons who are whistleblowers and those who are seeking to expose any violation of our laws in our agencies or government ministries,” she told Our Today.

“What this does as well is it confirms in people’s minds that there are two Jamaicas. There is the Jamaica for the big man and the Jamaica for the little man, and they’re treated very differently. It really is important that NEPA comes to the public and provide information to help us to better understand the situation,” she insisted.

Frazer-Binns added that while NEPA cannot share some details of the matter because it is under investigation, she believes that the agency should provide clarity on the information already within the public domain.

“The very credibility of the entity is at stake here, and I think it is important that NEPA says something to us,” she stressed.

The Charlemont Drive development is owned by the President of the National Water Commission Mark Barnett, and his wife Annette Francis-Barnett. The couple were reported by the NEPA officer for breaches of the environmental permit issued for the development.

When the matter was brought before the Director of Public Prosecution Paula Llewellyn, she ruled that allegations against the Barnetts support the filing of criminal charges. However, the time for such breaches had expired by the time action was initiated.

Following these reports, the NEPA officer was placed on interdiction, pending an investigation to determine whether there was a disciplinary case to answer.