Him also tief di light:
Lights on Kern again
Illegal electricity connection found at former state minister's govt home
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Former junior minister Kern Spencer (centre) listens as his surety, People's National Party caretaker for West Central St Andrew, Patrick Roberts, (left), speaks with his attorney, Debra Martin after his appearance in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
EMBATTLED former minister of state for energy, Kern Spencer, may have another problem on his hands soon, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands seeks to clarify a report of an unauthorised electricity connection at the state house he occupied in Kingston 10 during his tenure in office.
The Observer has learnt that a report from an electrical contractor, engaged by the National Lands Agency (NLA), to check on the electrical panel at number 9 Sharrow Drive, Kingston 10, which Spencer occupied between May last year and January, shows that there had been an illegal connection to a light post on the premises where a meter should have been.
Checks done by the NLA with the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) later confirmed that there was no contract for light to be provided to the house after the previous resident, Marjorie Taylor, another former People's National Party junior minister, settled the bill and the meter was removed by the JPS in May 2006.
Asked by the Observer for a response to the leaked report yesterday, minister of agriculture and lands, Dr Christopher Tufton, said that he was aware of it but could not comment.
"The matter is being investigated, so I cannot comment at this time," Dr Tufton insisted.
According to a report from the NLA to the ministry, the JPS removed the meter from the house on May 26, 2006 after Taylor settled her bill and moved from the premises.
The property was handed over to Spencer on May 1, 2007, along with a copy of the government's electrical inspector's report, which would have been necessary to facilitate his entering into a contract with the JPS, the report said. Spencer was also given a letter from the ministry to the JPS to arrange a contract to provide electricity.
"This is normal for all lease arrangements (facilitated by the ministry, which is in charge of all government-owned properties)," the report explained.
After the property was vacated by Spencer in January this year, "it was observed that electricity was still (available) in the house".
"An electrical contractor was engaged to check the electrical panel and it was reported that an illegal connection was on the light pole where the meter was supposed to be," the NLA report said.
The agency checked with the JPS and was informed that, "there was no contract in place with Mr Spencer".
Yesterday, JPS communications head Winsome Callum said that she was not aware of the arrangements between the JPS and government officials occupying government properties. However, she said that in cases where illegal connections are found, the company seeks to recover payment.
There are two options, she said: one, being that the person responsible is identified and the JPS seeks to collect; or two, where the person refuses to pay, the matter is turned over to the police. However, she could not say what, if any option, would be pursued in circumstances related to government-owned properties occupied by its officials.
Spencer, his former assistant Coleen Wright and businessman Rodney Chin, are currently facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with the Cuban Light Bulb scandal in which it is alleged that over $267 million was spent to distribute four million fluorescent bulbs donated to Jamaica by the Cuban Government.
Lights on Kern again
Illegal electricity connection found at former state minister's govt home
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Former junior minister Kern Spencer (centre) listens as his surety, People's National Party caretaker for West Central St Andrew, Patrick Roberts, (left), speaks with his attorney, Debra Martin after his appearance in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
EMBATTLED former minister of state for energy, Kern Spencer, may have another problem on his hands soon, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands seeks to clarify a report of an unauthorised electricity connection at the state house he occupied in Kingston 10 during his tenure in office.
The Observer has learnt that a report from an electrical contractor, engaged by the National Lands Agency (NLA), to check on the electrical panel at number 9 Sharrow Drive, Kingston 10, which Spencer occupied between May last year and January, shows that there had been an illegal connection to a light post on the premises where a meter should have been.
Checks done by the NLA with the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) later confirmed that there was no contract for light to be provided to the house after the previous resident, Marjorie Taylor, another former People's National Party junior minister, settled the bill and the meter was removed by the JPS in May 2006.
Asked by the Observer for a response to the leaked report yesterday, minister of agriculture and lands, Dr Christopher Tufton, said that he was aware of it but could not comment.
"The matter is being investigated, so I cannot comment at this time," Dr Tufton insisted.
According to a report from the NLA to the ministry, the JPS removed the meter from the house on May 26, 2006 after Taylor settled her bill and moved from the premises.
The property was handed over to Spencer on May 1, 2007, along with a copy of the government's electrical inspector's report, which would have been necessary to facilitate his entering into a contract with the JPS, the report said. Spencer was also given a letter from the ministry to the JPS to arrange a contract to provide electricity.
"This is normal for all lease arrangements (facilitated by the ministry, which is in charge of all government-owned properties)," the report explained.
After the property was vacated by Spencer in January this year, "it was observed that electricity was still (available) in the house".
"An electrical contractor was engaged to check the electrical panel and it was reported that an illegal connection was on the light pole where the meter was supposed to be," the NLA report said.
The agency checked with the JPS and was informed that, "there was no contract in place with Mr Spencer".
Yesterday, JPS communications head Winsome Callum said that she was not aware of the arrangements between the JPS and government officials occupying government properties. However, she said that in cases where illegal connections are found, the company seeks to recover payment.
There are two options, she said: one, being that the person responsible is identified and the JPS seeks to collect; or two, where the person refuses to pay, the matter is turned over to the police. However, she could not say what, if any option, would be pursued in circumstances related to government-owned properties occupied by its officials.
Spencer, his former assistant Coleen Wright and businessman Rodney Chin, are currently facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with the Cuban Light Bulb scandal in which it is alleged that over $267 million was spent to distribute four million fluorescent bulbs donated to Jamaica by the Cuban Government.
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