The People’s National Party (PNP) is describing the arrest on Wednesday (Oct 9) of former government minister Ruel Reid, his family and the president of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) Fritz Pinnock as an important step in Jamaica’s efforts to clean up corruption.

The PNP said this should help to create an environment of good governance and probity in public affairs. The party said it is closely monitoring the situation and is awaiting further announcements by the Financial Investigations Divisions and Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) on the charges to be laid.

Reid, his wife Sharen, their daughter Sharelle, Pinnock, and Brown’s Town Division Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence were arrested during pre-dawn operations at their homes in St Andrew, St Catherine, and St Ann.

MOCA said that the probe involves allegations of corruption, fraud, and misappropriation of public funds in a multimillion-dollar corruption scheme perpetrated at the Ministry of Education, the CMU, and other government entities that fall under the portfolio responsibility of Reid.