RONALD Thwaites’ parliamentary career crashed yesterday, a mere five days after publicly volunteering that an article by Observer columnist, Mark Wignall, that alluded to dishonest business dealings by a ruling People’s National Party (PNP) politician referred to him.

Thwaites told PNP president P J Patterson that he was stepping down as Central Kingston MP, but rejected that he had misappropriated money and threatened lawsuits, but did not say against whom.

“As a result of the continuing accusations about matters relating to my private business and in order to minimise the dislocation and discomfort for my family, church, friends and constituents, I have taken the decision to resign as member of parliament (MP) for Central Kingston,” Thwaites said in a letter to Patterson.

Thwaites, a lawyer, Roman Catholic deacon, radio talk-show host and social activist, entered Parliament after the 1997 general election and quickly built up a reputation as perhaps the most active and analytic member of the government’s backbench.

But his political life began its hurtle into a free fall last Thursday with Wignall’s article, which named no names but related a series of questionable business transactions including one in which the subject made off with $5 million belonging to a government agency.

Thwaites appeared on the Power 106 current affairs programme, Nationwide, the same evening not only to say that he was the subject of the article but to offer his version of the events.

In the case of the $5 million Thwaites said he had been contracted to collect on behalf of the Post Office about two years ago, he said that in one case the money was lodged into the client account of his law firm for perhaps four weeks.

Once the issue was brought to his attention he quickly paid over the cash in two tranches and offered interest which was not accepted.

Thwaites suggested that the job to collect the money was on the instrumentality of retired postmaster general, Sam Stewart, rather than his son, Daniel Thwaites, who was the chairman of the then emerging Postal Corporation of Jamaica.

But yesterday Stewart told the Hot 102 morning programme, the Breakfast Club, that it was Daniel Thwaites who had suggested that his father could do the job and had asked for a list of the outstanding debtors.

According to Stewart, around the same time, he went off on pre-retirement leave but became aware of problems when he was contacted about a payee who was asking for a receipt from the Post Office for money the agency had not received.

Stewart did not make any allegation, but suggested that it was wrong in law for a cheque made to the postmaster general, a principal revenue collector for the government, to be lodged to someone else’s account.

But in his letter to Patterson, Thwaites said: “I deny the allegations of dishonesty made against me in the media… They were) all made without any reference to me for comment before damaging publication (and) the malicious and callous charges make it impossible for me to (continue to) perform public duties.”

Thwaites said he would take the “strongest legal action” to protect his integrity and professional reputation.

Another issue that has swirled around Thwaites is the propriety of former Roman Catholic archbishop, Samuel Carter allowing him to use church property as collateral for a private loan.

In accepting Thwaites’ resignation, Patterson stressed that Thwaites’ performance as a legislator and political representative was not in question.

“…No one can suggest or imply that in your performance as member of parliament, you have failed to observe any rule, regulation or procedure,” Patterson said.

Added Patterson: “I take note that the principled position you have taken to resign from Parliament has nothing to do with your functions as an elected representative. The party leadership recognises the financial problems which confront you and your persistent efforts to deal with them.”

PNP sources suggested last night that after Stewart’s remarks on radio yesterday it was almost impossible for Thwaites to survive, especially with Patterson and his party keen to avoid another scandal as they begin to rev up their campaign for elections later this year.

Thwaites had met with key PNP officials on the weekend for a report Patterson had ordered on the affair and there were suggestions from PNP insiders that he was already seriously weakened.

But while an influential wing of the party wanted to see Thwaites go as part of damage control, others, such as Paul Burke, chairman for the party’s Region 3, which groups constituencies in Kingston and St Andrew, felt his decision was “premature”.

“I think he should have met with his constituents before, even if he had come to the same decision,” Burke said.

He had hoped that Thwaites’ political contribution would have compensated for the mistake in dealing with the cheque for the Post Office.

“I don’t think it was an insurmountable or unforgivable mistake. And I thought that the contribution he was making, and would have made, would have surpassed that,” Burke said.

“I have tremendous respect for him and I am disappointed that things worked out this way,” said Victor Cummings, councillor for the Allman Town Division of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, which is in Central Kingston.