The Government yesterday announced that all boards of agencies under the energy portfolio — over which Dr Andrew Wheatley once had charge — have been summoned by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to a meeting next week.

“The boards are being called in to be given direct policy instructions by the prime minister, who is the minister currently in charge of the energy portfolio,” a release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said.

The boards include the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), National Energy Solutions Limited (NESoL), Wigton Wind Farm, Petrojam Ethanol Limited, Board of Examiners, Jamaica Aircraft Refuelling Services Limited, and the Government Electrical Regulator.

The announcement was made shortly after news broke that Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) Chairman Trevor Forrest had tendered his resignation.

The SMA falls under what was formerly the Ministry of Science, Energy, and Technology (MSET). The prime minister had moved the energy portfolio to the OPM last month amidst the escalation of accusations of victimisation and nepotism at Petrojam.

The Government has been caught in a hailstorm of allegations of mismanagement and corruption at a number of agencies under the portfolios formerly held by Dr Wheatley, who resigned from the Cabinet on Monday.

Forrest, the latest in a list of officials in leadership roles at agencies under the energy portfolio, told Prime Minister Holness, in a letter dated July 31, that after careful consideration of the views in the public domain about his actions in relation to the execution of his duties as chairman of the SMA, and in the best interest of the agency and the Government, he would quit with effect from 5:00 pm that day.

Harsh criticisms have been levelled at Forrest over the past week after the Opposition brought to light information suggesting that in 2016 he had tried to have Carolyn Warren added to the shortlist of candidates for the position of administration manager at the SMA.

Warren was later hired at NESoL in October 2016 as human resources manager, and appointed managing director in January 2017. She resigned last week amidst a maelstrom of controversy over the Opposition’s publication that she had a drug trafficking conviction.

Warren admitted to the offence, saying that it occurred 25 years ago. However, it emerged that she had six convictions.

An e-mail trail between August 29 and September 12, 2016 showed Forrest seeming to attempt to direct permanent secretary in the Ministry of Science, Energy, and Technology (MSET) Hillary Alexander to add Warren to the shortlisted candidates for the position of manager.

Forrest had, on August 29, submitted Warren’s resume, stating, “Please see that this resume is added to your shortlisted candidates for interview and consideration.”

However, SMA Managing Director David McBean responded that, after consulting with internal human resources as well as the MSET, the agency could not accommodate the request, as the closing date of August 19, 2016 had passed and the application was not made by the normal route.

“A short list has already been compiled …any addition of a candidate at this stage would be highly irregular and would leave SMA open to a HR audit,” McBean said.

But Forrest, in his response, said he noted McBean’s concerns but “my request still stands. Please take the necessary steps to execute as requested”.

McBean, however, stood his ground, stating: “Having given careful consideration to your continued request, I would be unable to facilitate same unless you have information that would put me in a position to overcome the hurdles identified.”

Alexander, whom McBean copied on the e-mail, pointed out that Forrest’s request was outside Government regulations, to which Forrest said that, while he appreciated her concerns, he expected his request to be “carried out accordingly” until McBean could present published recruitment policies stating such.

The Opposition spokesman on technology Julian Robinson had raised questions in the House of Representatives over a year ago about a conflict of interest concern expressed by the contractor general in a 2016 special report of his investigation into the circumstances surrounding the issuance of a Domestic Mobile Spectrum Licence to Symbiote Investments.

In that investigation, Dr Wheatley was questioned about his relationship with Forrest, who was also an adviser to him in his ministerial post, and whom Wheatley said had previously been “part of the team” when he was in Opposition.

The Opposition has been clamouring for Forrest’s resignation from the SMA board, citing intent to influence the selection process for the position of manager of administration at the authority.

Yesterday, Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips called on Prime Minister Holness to inform the country about Dr Wheatley’s replacement and the future direction and control of the ministry.

“Three days is sufficient time for the prime minister to tell the nation of his plans in relation to the governance of the Ministry of Science and Technology,” he said in a statement.