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Light bulb cronyism
Even if former State Minister Kern Spencer is not guilty of fraud, he has to explain his role in the awarding of contracts to one of the companies at the centre of the multi-million dollar Cuban light bulb controversy, where his child’s mother is a major player.
Sherine Shakes, mother of Spencer’s child, is a manager at Universal Management and Development Company, one of the two companies which was paid over $85.6 million dollars for assisting in distributing two million florescent bulbs which were donated free of cost by the Cuban Government.
Sources said Spencer made no declaration about his connection with any principals of the company when the entity was awarded the multi-million dollar contract, which was not put to public tender in contravention of the required government procedures.
The Sunday Herald has tried repeatedly to contact Spencer, without success. Spencer broke down in tears in Parliament last week, having heard Energy Minister, Clive Mullings’ bombshell revelations about the light bulb programme of which Spencer was in charge while he was State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce. Mullings told Parliament that he had called in the Police Fraud Squad and the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate the matter, based on new evidence he had uncovered.
Mullings said the Cuban Embassy in Kingston had advised that it had paid stipends to the Cuban volunteers on the programme, prompting the question of who the stipends that were claimed from the Jamaican government by Universal Management and Development Company, were paid to.
Meanwhile, more reports continue to come in of communities and institutions, including G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports, which provided free housing accommodations for some of the Cuban volunteers on the programme. This conflicted with the billing that was apparently made for such accommodation by Universal Management and Development Company.
This latest revelations have deepened the controversy and raised more questions about the $85.6 million which was paid to the company based on invoices it submitted for providing accommodation, meals and stipend for the Cuban volunteers.
Even if former State Minister Kern Spencer is not guilty of fraud, he has to explain his role in the awarding of contracts to one of the companies at the centre of the multi-million dollar Cuban light bulb controversy, where his child’s mother is a major player.
Sherine Shakes, mother of Spencer’s child, is a manager at Universal Management and Development Company, one of the two companies which was paid over $85.6 million dollars for assisting in distributing two million florescent bulbs which were donated free of cost by the Cuban Government.
Sources said Spencer made no declaration about his connection with any principals of the company when the entity was awarded the multi-million dollar contract, which was not put to public tender in contravention of the required government procedures.
The Sunday Herald has tried repeatedly to contact Spencer, without success. Spencer broke down in tears in Parliament last week, having heard Energy Minister, Clive Mullings’ bombshell revelations about the light bulb programme of which Spencer was in charge while he was State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce. Mullings told Parliament that he had called in the Police Fraud Squad and the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate the matter, based on new evidence he had uncovered.
Mullings said the Cuban Embassy in Kingston had advised that it had paid stipends to the Cuban volunteers on the programme, prompting the question of who the stipends that were claimed from the Jamaican government by Universal Management and Development Company, were paid to.
Meanwhile, more reports continue to come in of communities and institutions, including G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports, which provided free housing accommodations for some of the Cuban volunteers on the programme. This conflicted with the billing that was apparently made for such accommodation by Universal Management and Development Company.
This latest revelations have deepened the controversy and raised more questions about the $85.6 million which was paid to the company based on invoices it submitted for providing accommodation, meals and stipend for the Cuban volunteers.
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