The months-long dispute that has rocked Jamaica College (JC) deepened on Monday when the secretary of the past students’ association fired back at accusations of misappropriation of millions of dollars levied against it by the school board.

Jamaica College Old Boys’ Association (JCOBA) Secretary Kevin Walker weighed in on the quarrel after the board on Sunday, in a Zoom meeting — titled ‘Basil Jarrett’s ongoing harmful actions against Jamaica College and why we must unite to stop him’ — claimed that the Jarrett-led JCOBA was unable to account for US$20,494.26 or $3,176,610.30 from the sale of uniforms.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Walker said that the current spat is a spillover from the impasse last year when the board had warned Jarrett and another old boy to stop making public statements about developments at the high school.

Walker said the stock of uniforms to which the board referred had been given to JCOBA in a fund-raising effort, which was halted by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

He said, during that period, JC Acting Principal Wayne Robinson appealed to JCOBA for emergency funding to keep the school afloat, pay staff, and do other things.

“As an emergency situation, we, along with our overseas-based chapters, gave Mr Robinson some money — out of the uniform sales — and other money through donations to finance the school. We were manipulating the sales of the uniforms and the profits were used to mix and match — give some to the school, the sporting teams, etc. Because of COVID, the uniform sales came to a complete stop. We had expected school to open and it affected the sales,” he said.

Walker added: “When the impasse started and got into high gear they took the stack of uniforms from us, which we could have sold and repaid the suppliers. It left us with a dead hand. We are a charitable organisation, we gave back the uniforms as was asked, as JC is the one with the contractual agreement with the supplier. Taking back the uniforms has its own repercussions. They took the uniforms from us and gave to a private entity. They took it from a charitable body — JCOBA — that has proven time and time again to be exemplary and accountable and gave it to a private entity.”

When contacted by the Observer on Monday, Major Jarrett said he was unavailable for comment at this time. However, in a letter dated March 3, 2022, addressed to Robinson, and which has been released on social media, Jarrett asserted that Robinson has attempted to insert himself into the operational activities of stakeholders, particularly in their relationship with suppliers.

He further stated that it is of great concern to the JCOBA that Robinson chose to interfere with its operations, especially in a manner that cripples JCOBA’s ability to support the school financially.

The letter also outlined a breakdown of income and expenditure regarding the uniform sales which was one of the points of contention during the Zoom meeting that had more than 100 attendees.

The letter to Robinson further stated that between August 2020 and December 2021, the JCOBA took possession of US$49,353.15 worth of uniforms and merchandise from a supplier, Joseph Sports, at an exchange rate of US$130 to J$1 ($6,415,909.50).

“To date, the JCOBA has made two payments to Joseph Sports: one payment of US$3,846.15 ($500,000) by way of cheque to Harwyn Limited on November 25, 2020, and one payment of US$7,675.00 ($1,200,000) on December 15, 2021 by way of cheque to Jamaica College, as per the instructions of the supplier. This brings a total payment of US$11,521.15 ($1,700,000) to the supplier, leaving a balance of US$37,832.00.”

Major Jarrett also stated in the letter that a breakdown of an outstanding debt of US$16,648.11 reflects monies donated to the school over the period 2020 – 2022 for contributions to the track, football, table tennis, and Schools’ Challenge Quiz teams as well “as student welfare support in the form of tablets, data, laptops and care packages”.

“Invoices and receipts can be provided to substantiate these claims,” he stated.

“This debt of US$16,648.11 was incurred as a result of a cash-flow decision by the JCOBA to prioritise meeting the urgent needs of the school over the immediate clearing of the arrears with the supplier. We did this because we knew how badly the school needed the support and because we had anticipated being able to clear this debt, once full face-to-face school returns and uniform demand and sales had increased,” Jarrett added.

“With the imminent return of full-time face-to-face school on March 7, 2022 and the expected increase in demand for uniforms and merchandise, we had anticipated not only clearing the arrears, but also generating a profit to continue supporting the boys once they are back on campus. We are therefore recommending that the goods be returned to the JCOBA, in order to allow us to address the outstanding amount to the supplier and to continue to support the school,” the JCOBA president said.

He also called on the board to “cease and desist” what he described as an attempt to besmirch the JCOBA’s reputation.

Jarrett’s call was a return salvo to JC’s cease and desist call on him issued November 30, 2021 as public controversy swirled around the issue of Ruel Reid’s possible return to the high school as principal after the education ministry rejected a recommendation from the school board for a five-year extension of special leave granted to Reid in March 2016 to serve as education minister.

However, on November 20, 2021 the day that the leave was set to expire, Reid and the school board issued a joint release advising of his immediate resignation.

Reid remains before the court, having been arrested in October 2019 along with his wife Sharen, their daughter Sharelle, Jamaica Labour Party Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence, and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Fritz Pinnock.

Reid and Pinnock are facing charges of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law, and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act in relation to the education ministry and CMU.