PHILLIP Paulwell, the former energy minister, came out swinging yesterday, describing suggestions of cronyism and overspending in the contentious Cuban light bulb affair as a “reckless and deliberate lie”.

After weeks of dodging in the shadows while his former junior minister Kern Spencer took the heat, Paulwell declared his innocence of any wrongdoing and said he was confident the current investigations underway would confirm that.

Paulwell also sought to deflect attention to the professionals and officers in his former ministry and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), whose duties include policy formulation and advice, making recommendations, execution of programmes and projects, evaluation, oversight and monitoring.

“I have never been written to, or advised that there were any major concerns or financial irregularities about any aspects of the Cuban light bulb programme,” he said.

“I neither hire nor fire these professionals and therefore must rely on them for the work and the level of professionalism required by the ministry which I had political responsibility for,” Paulwell added.

As then minister, he said, he would not have had any involvement whatsoever in the selection of any contractors.

Paulwell, a super minister under the Portia Simpson Miller administration, was the man who secured the gift of four million light bulbs from the government of Cuba, intending to save Jamaica millions of dollars in energy cost.

But new energy minister, Clive Mullings, divulged to Parliament two weeks ago that the gift bulb project had chalked up $114.7 million in questionable spending.

Mullings said the expenditure could climb to over $280 million.

Hitting back, Paulwell lashed Mullings’ claim of overspending and cronyism as “innuendoes, half-truths and outright lies” and suggested through his publicist that the Auditor General’s Department should conduct a forensic audit of the programme.

Paulwell said he had kept silent up to now, only to allow the president of the People’s National Party (PNP), Portia Simpson Miller, the party’s Investigation Committee and party officers to study the reports on the entire matter.

Simpson Miller had demanded a report from both Paulwell and Spencer after Mullings’ disclosure, and then asked the party committee to look into that report when it was submitted.

“I am confident that at the end of the various investigations and audit procedure, the JLP’s attack will be seen for what it is – another reckless and deliberate lie,” Paulwell said.

His statement comes a day after Portia Simpson Miller’s announcement that she would be meeting this week with the two men at the centre of the scandal for further discussions.

Addressing party supporters at the South East St Catherine constituency meeting for the Edgewater Division to introduce councillor candidate Alric Campbell in Portmore on Sunday, Simpson Miller said she was unable to speak extensively on the issue as it was now a legal matter. But she welcomed the investigation and hoped for a speedy conclusion.

“The law must take its place in everything,” she said, adding that she knew something which she was not yet ready to divulge.

In his defence, Paulwell said it was always recognised that millions of dollars would have to be spent transporting, accommodating and feeding the installation team of 300 Cubans and almost 1,200 Jamaican volunteers who travelled across Jamaica to over 500,000 households in 55 constituencies, removing old bulbs and replacing them with energy-efficient bulbs.

“Actually, feeding over 1,000 persons and sometimes as many as 1,500 persons three meals per day for close to four months accounts for a substantial amount of the funds expended, “Paulwell said in the statement.

Paulwell, however, conceded that there might have been some “inefficiencies and deficiencies” in the administration and procurement procedures. “In this regard, I await the findings of the Contractor-General’s Office and may the chips fall where they may.”

He declined to elaborate on his statement, telling the Observer that he would not be answering any questions until he holds a press conference on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

In his statement, Paulwell accused Energy Minister Mullings of attempting to “besmirch what is one of the most effective energy-saving programmes in the history of the country”.

Paulwell said not only were the Cubans satisfied with the roll-out of the programme, but had implemented the model used in Jamaica in other Caribbean countries.

The project had saved Jamaica $480 million per month on its energy bill, which translated to a saving of $16 million a day.

He urged the government to complete the project and to reimburse the members of parliament and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) who had incurred expenses as part of the project.