KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister with responsibility for Education, Karl Samuda, has assured the House of Representatives that he will seek more details on a controversial credit card which was issued to the former minister Ruel Reid by the ministry.

Samuda, the Leader of the House, in response to a question from the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Peter Phillips, said that he, personally, was not aware of any such practice on the part of the current government to provide ministers with credit cards.

Speaker of the House, Pearnel Charles Snr also indicated that he had never been aware of cabinet ministers being offered credit cards to pay their bills.

However, in response to Dr Phillips’ question as to whether he was aware that the ministry’s guidelines prohibits ministers from being issued credit cards and whether there was a breakdown in communications which led to Reid being issued one, Samuda insisted that the card could not have been given to the minister without the advice of someone with authority within the ministry.

“So I cannot venture into why or the method by which it was acquired,” Samuda told the Opposition Leader.

The issue was raised in a number of questions asked of the Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, by the Opposition’s spokesman on Education, Ronald Thwaites, which were answered yesterday by Samuda.

The House Leader explained that a card was issued Reid with a limit of US$3,800. He said that the card was to be used for payment for petrol, some hotel charges, book charges and air travel related matters. But, he said that he did not have any more details as to who issued the card or who is responsible for payment of the debts, as it was just recently brought to his attention.

“I do not have the details…and I am not in a position to guide you any further on the matter,” he told Phillips.

He said, however, that he would undertake to get the information and bring it to the House of Representatives.

Balford Henry