Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has challenged the Integrity Commission’s report which implies conflict of interest on his part, in relation to the awarding of contracts to close associates when he was Minister of Education 14 to 16 years ago.
He not only insisted in a statement issued late Wednesday that he did nothing wrong but said the matter has been referred to his lawyers.
“I strongly disagree with some of the findings of the report and have referred it to my lawyers. I strongly reject any suggestion or insinuation of wrongdoing and I will do all in my power to ensure that the truth is known,” the prime minister said.
In the 107-page report which was laid in Parliament on Tuesday, the Integrity Commission said it had referred the matter to the director of corruption prosecution for consideration with respect to breaches of the Contractor General Act in relation to contracts awarded to Westcon Construction Limited between February 2007 and November 2009.
Westcon’s directors were Robert Garvin and Donovan Simpson, both of whom Holness admitted to knowing for more than 20 years although he said only Garvin is known to him “personally”.
According to the commission, Westcon was awarded ten contracts through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, totalling J$21.8 million, but only five were reported to the Office of the Contractor General by way of the ministry’s quarterly contract award (QCA) reports for the period.
“In my response to the Integrity Commission queries of these dated matters, I made it absolutely clear that at no time have I ever exercised influence on any process for the award of contracts,” Holness said in response to the report.
“I strongly disagree with the findings of the Integrity Commission regarding conflict of interest based on mere association.”
He further sought to explain that it has been the longstanding practice that members of parliament are asked to recommend local contractors to undertake works in their constituencies as a practical matter. This practice was introduced during the 1990s and has continued across multiple administrations since.
“Furthermore, it is also the practice that constituency project officers for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) are recommended by the member of parliament. It is not unusual that CDF projects officers are persons who are already working in the constituency organization and are associated with the MP. I am certain that a review of local works and CDF projects officers will find that MP recommendations feature significantly in a vast number of them, and this has never been cited as exercising undue influence,” the prime minister said.
“The Integrity Commission’s report also ignores the circumstances of an emergency, where in 2008, 15 years ago the ‘Christmas Work’ program was late in starting and workers faced a high probability of not being paid. I was asked to recommend an entity to facilitate payment of the ‘Christmas Work Program’ before the close of business for the Christmas holidays. This was done in good faith. To see this being targeted and made into something it is not, is gravely disappointing.”
After the release of the Integrity Commission’s report, the opposition People’s National Party said the revelations had exposed the country to international embarrassment.
CMC/
