KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) has accused Prime Minister Andrew Holness of making untrue remarks during his Area Council One meeting yesterday in suggesting that an Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) is using Government land without paying.

According to the PNP, Holness’ reference to a PNP MP being involved in land capture, electricity theft and illegal use of Government assets was untrue, defamatory and ought to be withdrawn immediately with an apology.

Holness, who was commenting on land occupying activities at the Holland Estates in St Elizabeth” said there are indications that there are people occupying land and doing business without paying for its use or the utility bills.

“We have come across many people in the ‘pot’ who have been jumping up and shouting and criticising our ‘steaming kettle’, and there are persons there who are presently occupying Government land without paying rent or any form of remedies, who are doing business there who are not paying any light bill, and who have been asked to do so but haven’t done so,” Holness said.

“They continue in Parliament and they are occupying the lands. They have no documentation. They do business there. They are using the Government’s electricity…So we are going through the land and we are seeing many of them from that ‘pot’, so we will like them to just ‘drip, drip, drip, drip’, because we have a little tank (of information) and they have a reservoir,” he stated.

The PNP, in a statement this afternoon, said it had done extensive consultations with its members of the House of Representatives, following the prime minister’s accusation and said Victor Wright, MP for Trelawny North, is the only PNP MP who currently occupies Government-owned land.

“While he was operations manager of the Frome Sugar Factory in July 2011, five years before he became a Member of Parliament, he applied for and was selected to enter into a lease arrangement with the SCJ Holdings for a parcel of land, known as Fontabelle Estate in the parish of Westmoreland. 

“The original lease, which was for one year with an option to purchase, has expired. However, in September 2011, Mr Wright exercised his option to purchase, and arrangements are in place to conclude the transaction.

“The SCJ currently owes him money related to his former employment, and there is an agreement to apply those funds to the purchase. In addition, electricity was supplied by the factory owners, Pan Caribbean Sugar Company Limited, and all payments are up to date,” the PNP outlined in its statement.

The party said it has examined all correspondence from SCJ Holdings Ltd, the Sugar Company of Jamaica and Pan Caribbean and is satisfied that the legal arrangements as outlined by Wright are consistent with the documents. It also said it believes that all the documents were available to the prime minister from SCJ had he been interested in the truth.

“Mr Wright has been very transparent in this arrangement. He has declared the matter to Parliament, and it was examined by the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives. Further, it is included in his annual filings with the Integrity Commission,” the statement continued.

The PNP said the prime minister’s statement “is a blot on the Office of Prime Minister, and the party expects a full apology, now that we have provided him with the complete information, which he can easily confirm.

“Wherever corruption exists, we are prepared to make the law take its course. There will be no cover-up and no pointing of fingers to the other side to justify our action.”