THE absence of University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) CEO Fitzgerald Mitchell from a third Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing on Tuesday, despite being formally summoned, reignited calls for urgent reform of Jamaica’s laws regarding contempt of Parliament after Members of Parliament were told that the penalty remains a fine of just $200 or up to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Mitchell’s latest no-show marked the third time he has failed to appear before the committee since lawmakers began examining a damning Auditor General’s report into procurement, governance, and record-keeping practices at UHWI.

The repeated absences drew sharp criticism from members, who argued that the issue had grown beyond the details of the audit and had become a challenge to Parliament’s authority.