KINGSTON, Jamaica — Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pearnel Charles, today refuted suggestions that he misled the House in a bid to delay tabling a special report from the Auditor General alleging fraud at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).

In a brief statement before the start of the sitting, Charles, after welcoming a number of visiting students from Manchester schools to the gallery, told the House that he had discussions with Opposition Member of Parliament Julian Robinson, but insisted that he had done nothing wrong.

‘”I wish to say to members that I, Pearnel Charles, had no intention of covering up or misleading the House in any way,” he stated.

“I have discussed this with the persons concerned and, I repeat, at no time would I be involved in any attempt to make any cover up for anyone outside or inside this Parliament,” he added.

Charles on January 14, when the House resumed following a four-week holiday break, did not approve the tabling of the report. He insisted that it could breach the Standing Orders of the House regarding the issues being heard in the courts involving former Education Minister, Ruel Reid, and former CMU president, Professor Fritz Pinnock.

Opposition MP Julian Robinson tabled a censure motion two weeks ago against Charles for what he said was his refusal to table the Auditor General’s report.

Debate on the motion did not start on that date or since, as Government MPs insisted that the Speaker’s interpretation of the Standing Orders was correct and would be supported by them, while the Opposition posited that the “censure” motion should be treated with “privilege” and given priority above all other matters.

But Robinson, today, rose and accepted Charles’ brief statement as an apology from the Speaker.

“In light of your statement, I serve notice that I intend to withdraw the motion which is standing in my name,” he told the House.

In a release later today, Robinson explained that he brought the motion because “the people’s business cannot be at the whim and fancy of any Member”.

“We cannot hide corruption at any level, because it does not suit us. So I accept the Speaker’s apology as sincere, and hope that this is not a matter that we will have to revisit again,” he added.

However, the Jamaica Observer had reported last Sunday, February 2, that the Clerk to the Houses of Parliament, Heather Cooke, had written Robinson urging him to withdraw the motion, as it was not a privilege motion as he contended, which would have required the preferential treatment he was seeking.

In the letter to Robinson, the Clerk said that “the criteria for moving a privilege motion had not been met” and suggested that the matter be handled “properly”.