THE lights dimmed yesterday on the two men at the centre of the Cuban light bulb affair, with both of them throwing in the towel as party spokespersons on energy, the first casualties of the unfolding scandal.

Embattled former Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell and his deputy Kern Spencer buckled under the pressure, a day after Paulwell broke his four-week silence, vehemently denying that there was any wrongdoing on his part in the project.

Paulwell’s about-turn was also a dramatic reversal of his Monday statement in which he launched a scathing attack on now Energy Minister Clive Mullings for his “innuendoes, half-truths and out-right lies”, for charging that there was overspending and cronyism in the execution of the project.

Mullings said the project, under which Cuba gave four million fluorescent bulbs to the people of Jamaica, had ended up costing nearly $300 million.

In his statement, Paulwell hurled accusations at Mullings, saying he had told Parliament and the nation “a reckless and deliberate lie”.

Spencer who took the heat while his former boss remained in the shadows, and who tugged at heart strings after a teary session in Parliament last week, also protested his innocence, claiming that there were “inaccuracies” in statements made by Mullings over the last few weeks since the news broke.

Yesterday, Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller said she had accepted the resignation of the duo as opposition spokesperson and deputy spokesperson on energy, describing their decision as “the appropriate action”.

In a statement to the media, Simpson Miller reiterated that she would await the findings of ongoing investigations by the Auditor-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Fraud Squad.

But she continued to refrain from divulging the contents of the report she had demanded and received from Paulwell and Spencer after Mullings’ disclosure in the House. She is also keeping a subsequent party review of that report out of the public domain.

Speaking with the Observer after yesterday’s sitting from which both men were glaringly absent, opposition spokesperson on information, Lisa Hanna, said the party had taken the decision not to disclose the findings of the review team since the matter was now under investigation.

She, however, admitted that “essentially there were issues that we found that perhaps merit investigation”.

According to Hanna, the opposition supported the government’s decision to put the happenings associated with the project under the microscope but had one objection.

“We support what the government is doing in terms of the investigations but what we don’t want to continue happening is for them to come to Parliament every week doing the Contractor-General’s job,” she said.

As to what issues were found which merited investigation Hanna’s response was “I wouldn’t go into that”.

On the matter of the resignation of both men, she said the step was taken in the interest of the party.

“There were several reasons they forwarded, among them was that they did not want to compromise the integrity of the party and they just believed that until the investigations is completed, the best thing for them to do at this point would be to step down”.

As to whether this meant the resignations were not final, she said “I wouldn’t answer that right now”.

Hanna said consultations were ongoing to identify suitable persons to act in the capacities left vacant by both individuals.

For its part, the Standing Committee of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), in a news release yesterday, said it regarded the PNP’s recent claims that there was “no fraud in the Cuban light bulb programme as bordering on a blatant and desperate attempt to pervert the course of justice”.

It said it had taken note of comments to the media by PNP General Secretary Donald Buchanan that the committee set up by the party to review the issue had found no evidence of fraud.

According to the JLP, the motives of the PNP’s internal review committee was to be questioned as it had drawn the conclusion “after spending a few days examining the issue”.

It said the Standing Committee expected that a proper investigation would be conducted and a determination made if blame was to be attached to anyone.