KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Members of Parliament today paid tribute to former parliamentarian, Joseph Hibbert, who died at hospital Saturday night after a heart attack.

People’s National Party (PNP) members were noticeably mum except for the input from Deputy House Leader Natalie Neita Headley who gave condolences and invited House Members to pay homage.

Hibbert who served as chief technical officer in the Ministry of Transport and Works during the 1990s also represented the JLP as MP for East Rural St Andrew, between 2002 and 2011.

In 2011 Hibbert resigned as junior transport and works minister after the British firm, Mabey and Johnson, admitted to bribing officials in Jamaica and other countries to win bridge-building contracts in the 1990s, while he was chief technical director at the ministry.

Hibbert resigned to clear his name but was not absolved up to the time of his death. Leader of Opposition Business in the House Delroy Chuck said Hibbert was a “very decent human being” adding that it was unfortunate the matter did not come to a conclusion.

General Secretary of the Party Dr Horace Chang in his tribute said Hibbert was a “sincere capable man who served his community with honesty and integrity”. He said he was “saddened by the shadows that affected his life in his later years”. “It made him a sad man,” Dr Chang said.

JLP Finance spokesman Audley Shaw in his remarks said he also shared the concern that Hibbert died “with a cloud over his considerably high reputation”.

“We sincerely hope that his absolution will come not just by a statement that says the investigations are over because he has died but by something that is more declarative,” Shaw said.

As customary a minute of silence was observed for the deceased MP.

— Alicia Dunkley