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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness is underneath scrutiny after an anti-corruption company issued a prolonged report that means a possible battle of curiosity involving him and contracts awarded to a development firm, a few of which weren’t reported.
The island’s Integrity Fee famous in its report issued Wednesday that it referred the case to Jamaica’s director of corruption prosecution, who will overview the findings. The report additionally was shared with the speaker of Jamaica’s Home of Representatives, who’s a member of Holness’ Jamaica Labor Get together.
Holness launched a press release noting that the matter occurred practically 20 years in the past, and that “at no time have I ever exercised affect on any course of for the award of contracts. I strongly disagree with the findings of the Integrity Fee relating to battle of curiosity primarily based on mere affiliation.”
He additionally famous that it’s a longstanding apply for members of Parliament to suggest native contractors to undertake works of their constituencies, and added that he has referred the fee’s report back to his legal professionals.
The fee’s investigation targeted on 10 contracts awarded to a development firm from 2007 to 2009, when Holness was minister of schooling. Solely 5 of these have been reported to the Workplace of the Contractor Common as required by regulation, based on the report.
The contracts totaled practically $142,000 and have been for work starting from roof repairs to renovation of a lecturers’ cottage.
The fee discovered that the prime minister has identified two administrators and shareholders of Westcon Development Restricted for greater than 20 years. Holness stated certainly one of them that he is aware of personally is a former worker in his constituency and private enterprise, and the opposite is thought to him casually and was employed to do land surveying work, based on the report.
Officers with the development firm couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.
The investigation started after an area TV information program in Might 2016 questioned the contracts and the connection between Holness and the development firm officers.
It was not clear if Jamaica’s director of corruption prosecution has a deadline to answer the fee’s findings and whether or not her response could possibly be appealed by attorneys for Holness.
The fee didn’t instantly return a message for remark.