KINGSTON, Jamaica— The People’s National Party (PNP) Shadow Minister of Agriculture Victor Wright today said that the PNP will not apologise for any statement it made on the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) farm road programme.

In a statement a short while ago, Wright also said the party will also not apologise for or abandon its role as parliamentary watchdog over the use of taxpayers’ money.

According to the statement Wright said that “Minister Audley Shaw in his call for an apology should remember that the Auditor General has already completed a damning report detailing widespread breaches of the procurement practices at RADA under his and his predecessor’s watch.”

“Questions about the programme have already been raised by the AG report and other authentic documentations, including payment vouchers, present a picture of corruption and misuse of taxpayers’ funds, this is why we have asked for a financial audit,” he said.

The statement also said Wright urged Shaw to cease the use of the partial implementation of the bushing programme as a red herring to prevent further public scrutiny of RADA.

The shadow minister said the PNP has called for a financial audit as it is clear that the government cannot be trusted with taxpayers’ money.

He added that an alarm must be raised about any big spend that is questionable.