'Partying
on state funds' - Bruce Golding accuses Jamaican
Government of using oil money to finance conference
JG/Rudolph
Brown/Chief Photographer
Opposition
Leader Bruce Golding comments on the so-called Hylton
Report, copies of which were circulated in the House
of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Golding, who was
speaking during the aborted debate to censure Jamaica
Labour Party MP Karl Samuda, led a walkout by Opposition
members. At right is JLP MP Ernie Smith.
By Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter
Jamaica Gleaner
Kingston
Petroleumworld.com
10 08 06
The
Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), yesterday
accused the governing People's National Party (PNP),
of using state funds of up to $31 million from the
Nigerian oil deal, to finance the party's annual
conference last month.
But
in a quick response last night, the Government denied
the claims.
The
allegations were made shortly after the Opposition
members walked out of the House of Representatives
during a censure motion debate brought against Karl
Samuda, the JLP Member of Parliament for St. Andrew
North Central.
Released
findings
In
a hastily-called press conference inside the Opposition's
quarters at Gordon House, Mr. Golding released findings
of transactions, which he said were made to an account
in Jamaica known as CCOC Association, with Minister
of Information Colin Campbell as one of the signatories
on the account.
Mr.
Golding said that two cheques totalling $30 million
were issued payable to SW Services with both having
the signatures of Mr. Campbell, in addition to the
signatures of Phillip Paulwell, the Minister of
Industry, Commerce and Technology, Prakash Vaswani
and Delano Barnett.
A
third cheque for $465,000 drawn on the account of
CCOC Association, was, according to Mr. Golding,
made payable to Mr. Campbell.
Mr.
Golding claimed that the cheques were deposited
by Trafigura Beheer, an international company based
in the Netherlands which was engaged to carry out
the lifting and trading of oil from Nigera, on the
country's behalf.
The
oil deal with Nigeria was reportedly negotiated
in the 1970s by the Michael Manley administration.
The country is supposed to benefit from the proceeds
of the sale of oil on the international market.
But
Government member and PNP chairman, Robert Pickersgill,
has denied the allegations.
"That
is a mouthful of allegations and at the appropriate
time the party will respond," he said.
Dr.
Raymond Wright, formerly group managing director
of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, and now
consultant, said he did not know of the allegations.
"I
know nothing about these specific allegations. I
have no information on it whatsoever. It seems to
me very unusual," he said last night.
Meanwhile,
Mr. Golding has called for the resignation of the
entire government.
"This
government has acquired immunity to scandals but
there comes a time when enough is enough. That time
has come! It is time for this wretched government
to go. This one needs no commission of inquiry,"
he stated.
Jamaica Gleaner
Wednesday | October 4, 2006
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