Education Ministry rejects claims of CMU document shredding
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is rejecting as false a recent report in sections of the media that people at the ministry have destroyed documents related to the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) since March of this year in a bid to impede investigations.
According to the ministry, all documents related to the ministry’s engagement with the CMU whether through Memoranda of Understanding or service agreements have been made available to the relevant authorities as requested.
“It should be noted that in keeping with normal Cabinet Office procedures when there is a change in ministers within an administration or when there is a change of Government all Cabinet documents issued to outgoing minister(s) are to be destroyed and a Certificate of Destruction with the list of the documents disposed of presented to the Cabinet Office,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that “this procedure was followed earlier this year consequent on a directive dated April 3, 2019 to Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Grace McLean from the Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador Douglas Saunders, following the resignation of then Senator Ruel Reid as Minister of Education, Youth and Information.”
The allegations that CMU-related documents were destroyed in an attempt to impede investigations are therefore false, the ministry contended.