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A grand jury has indicted contractor Jim Cartrette for allegedly forging clients' checks, and additional charges that he cheated other Staten Island homeowners out of money and promised home improvements are expected to be filed against Cartrette next week, a source said yesterday. Prosecutors yesterday partially unsealed an indictment against the 38-year-old contractor, who took on at least 10 jobs in the borough after moving here and opening a business in his wife's name last year. The case, reported by the Advance, highlighted problems with the city Department of Consumer Affairs licensing system, which can result in people with arrest and prison records getting a license to operate a home improvement contracting company. A spokesman for Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said yesterday that Cartrette is expected to be arraigned Thursday in state Supreme Court.
Jack van der Merwe, the head of the Gautrain project, says construction of the R20 billion rail link could stall further if disputes with affected communities end up in the high court.
Van der Merwe says he hopes disputes with residents of Centurion and Dunkeld, north of Johannesburg, can be settled out of court.
Residents of Dunkeld want the rapid train route to go through Oxford road instead of going under Dunkeld, while Centurion residents have complained that an overhead line running through the area would be a visual intrusion.
Better to settle out of court
"I really think that it is much better for both parties to reach a settlement out of court. In the end, we can get a win-win situation. I think the best position is to try and get a compromise," said Van der Merwe.
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