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Golding, Robertson to testify before Office of Contractor General
JamaicaObserver.com
Monday, June 07, 2010
PRIME MINISTER Bruce Golding and energy minister James Robertson will be giving sworn testimony to the Office of the Contractor General, (OCG), regarding the Government’s proposed sale of its 45 per cent stake in JAMALCO to the Chinese firm, Zhuhai Hongfan.
The current and former Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Energy and Mining Hilary Alexander and Marcia Forbes will also be served with statutory requisitions requiring them to provide sworn testimony.
In a release to the media today the OCG said Howard Mitchell, Chairman of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd (JBM), the Bauxite and Alumina Trading Company and the National Housing Trust will also give testimony.
The release said Mitchell and Forbes met with OCG officials in April last year to brief them on the GOJ’s then prospective arrangements with Hongfan and its agent, Port Reliant, acting on what they said were the instructions of the Prime Minister.
After the meeting, Contractor General Greg Christie expressed concerns about conflict of interest and the lack of transparency and competition.
Each Respondent will give sworn testimony to the OCG regarding their knowledge of the circumstances of the proposed deal and to do so on the pain of criminal prosecution under Section 8 of the Perjury Act and Section 29 (a) of the Contractor General Act. The first Requisitions will be issued by the OCG no later than Wednesday.
Section 29 (b) of the Contractor General Act makes it a criminal offence for any person, without lawful justification or excuse, to obstruct, hinder or resist, or to fail to comply with a lawful requirement of a Contractor General in the execution of his functions under the Act.
“It is in light of all of the foregoing circumstances, therefore, that should any Respondent or person choose to obstruct or resist the OCG’s Investigation in any way, he must understand that he will do so at his own peril”, warned the Contractor General.
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6/8/2010
This is just what this country needs, if we had the approach of this OCG over the years we would have a different type of civil servants/politicians. Now if we could just give the OCG a little more bite to go with the bark. These investigations and very good ones at that are are tabled and then what???? The following week there is another scandal with the same persons. Mr. Christie keep them on their toes.
6/8/2010
Yeah..Mr Christie you first need to make sure which Mr. Golding you will be questioning. He morphs convienently into different characters. If I were you, I would bring a psychologist,,,,an obeah woman as help. One to determine which Mr. Golding is inside Mr. Golding's body currently.....and the other to trap that Mr. Golding inside making sure it does not leave and the others don't come in.
Good luck!
6/8/2010
If the prime minister does not tell the truth then he could be prosecuted.
My problem here though is that I am getting the feeling that the Judiciary is becoming partisan.
If it is (I hope it is not) then heaven help us, since this is our last bastion of hope.
6/8/2010
For all of you with short memory, the word 'truth' and Golding cannot be used in the same sentence.
6/7/2010
Mr Golding can now be renamed the 180 degree man
The same request that was made to investigate other other matters that was done under the former Government.He is now moving 180 degree, What a man
6/7/2010
Some in usa,are with friend like those,who need friends or MP?
And how politicks run in Jamaica,who is now,going to trust Golding,seeing what he has done and how?
Governor Eyre was not the `heor` it was Paul Bogle and Sam George William Garden,who got hang on cross ,became heroes..Eyre,was recalled by the Brits,then and now,what?
History,lessons,learn yaa!
6/7/2010
This,then `tivoli` hundred`, distractions..he cannot do like Pj ,who was not called..it gonna more `Seaga` in a sense `who caled,for he was the MP?
And those saying`criminals killed over 600,since eyear..catch those `criminals` hang `em. 110% support for that.
Solving crime is catching, perpretuators and convicting them ,not wholesale, killings,then `not hanging.
`Bulbie was wanted for over ten yrs, pnp,pj never wholesale,into `site, c.j. kirk,etc.for it iswrong...to do!
`roles` not so!
6/7/2010
Good reminder David Biles!
Does Jamaica laws allow truth serum?
Also, Mr Christe, if you can, restrict his answers to simple short sentences that ordanary citizen can understand without a lawyer.
6/7/2010
LOL. If justice doesn't catch up with you today, it will most certainly overtake you tomorrow... It's called poetic justice. They need to make sure a psychologist is on hand to tease out the multiple personalities in response to different questions. You know, BG, PM, MP, JLP Leader, NDM Leader, NDM Founder, etc...
6/7/2010
Mr. Christie, when you question the Prime Minister, please make sure your questions are very specific with respect to his role as the Leader of the JLP and his role as Prime Minister. This is very important sir, as the PM has dual personalities and he gets confuse easily.
6/7/2010
How we going to know if it is truth Hope?We certainly can't take his word for it.
OCG going to have to scrutinize this one good. Only when pressured does the truth come out.
6/7/2010
Do your thing M. Christie
6/7/2010
Wil Mr. Golding speak the truth?
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