CONTRACTOR-GENERAL Greg Christie said yesterday that he was still awaiting a response from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to his accusation that the organisation misled the public that contractors on the Sandals Whitehouse Hotel project were hired prior to the publication of government’s procurement guidelines.

Christie, in a letter to the UDC, distributed at yesterday’s first meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) looking into the controversial project, said his office was disturbed about the newspaper advertisement on September 6, in which the UDC said the consultants were “rehired” in October 2000, prior to the publication of the guidelines for public sector procurement. On the contrary, Christie said they were actually hired months after the publication, on October 24, 2001.

Christie said that his office had documents which “unequivocally” confirmed that Jentech Consultants Limited, Nevalco Consultants limited, Environmental Solutions Limited, Hospitality Purveyors Inc (HPI), Smith Warner International and Goldson Barrett Johnson “were all offered engagements as project consultants, by the UDC, by way of letters which were dated October 24, 2001”.

“As you will undoubtedly accept, October 24, 2001 is (a) more than one year following after the date upon which you have asserted that the consultants were ‘rehired’, (b) exactly one year after the issue of the Ministry of Finance and Planning’s October 24, 2000 interim NCC (National Contracts Commission) Guidelines for Public Sector Procurement; and (c), at least two months after the Government’s Procurement Procedures Handbook (GPPH), dated May 30, 2001 was reportedly issued.

Despite this, none of the project’s consultancy contracts which required competitive tendering and/or endorsement by the NCC and the cabinet, prior to award, were so qualified,” Christie’s letter added.

“Having regard to the gravity of this matter and what appears to be a concerted and continuing effort on the part of the UDC to change its story, and to deliberately mislead the public on the matter of its procurement activities as they relate to the Sandals Whitehouse project, I have decided to copy this letter to the most honourable prime minister, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of Jamaica and the auditor-general,” he said.

“Also, in view of your statement to the Gleaner and further to the powers which are reserved to me under the Contractor General Act, I would respectfully request that you provide to us, within five business days of the date of this letter (September 6), documentary evidence to establish that which you have asserted in respect of every consultant which was ‘rehired’ or engaged by the UDC (and/or by Ackendown Newtown Development Company) on the project.

“As we hold copies of authentic UDC documents which materially challenge the veracity of your assertion, we must advise that we are extremely disturbed at the grave import of that which you have communicated to the public and to the taxpayers of Jamaica by way of your statement,” Christie said in his letter to the UDC.”