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Patterson, Digicel deny airport allegations
Saturday, May 16, 2009
THE Government has ordered a probe into the landing of a private aircraft travelling from Cuba at the Norman Manley International Airport shortly after 9:00 Thursday night, following allegations that a diplomatic pouch containing a large sum of US dollars was aboard.
PATTERSON. allegations false and spurious
"The findings of the investigations are expected to be ready for Prime Minister Bruce Golding when he returns to the island on Sunday," the Ministry of National Security said in a statement yesterday afternoon.
At the same time, telecoms giant, Digicel, which had chartered the plane that was carrying former Prime Minister P J Patterson, two of his assistants and six employees of the cellphone provider, also called for an investigation into the matter after radio reports alleged that Cuban diplomats were among the passengers on the private jet.
"We hope and recommend that this whole issue is fully investigated by the Jamaican authorities, as we are deeply concerned with the irresponsible and damaging media reports which have surfaced to date," said a statement issued by Digicel's group head of public relations, Antonia Graham.
Patterson, meanwhile, dismissed the allegations about the diplomatic pouch and about Cubans being aboard the flight.
"On Thursday, May 14, I travelled by private aircraft with a high level delegation headed by the Group CEO of Digicel and members of its technical team to hold discussions with the Ministry of Informatics and Communication in Cuba.
"Digicel has been the first Caribbean operator to establish a commercial agreement with ETECSA and is seeking to expand its operations in the Cuban market.
"At the conclusion of our discussions in Havana, we returned home, landing at the Norman Manley Airport at 9:10 pm. The passengers on board were those who had gone to Cuba and did not include any diplomatic personnel or anyone of Cuban nationality.
"The plane conveyed no diplomatic pouch or diplomatic baggage on board.
"On landing, all passengers including myself, cleared Customs and Immigration in the customary fashion. After the requisite approval had been obtained from the Customs and Immigration, we all proceeded home," said Patterson, an attorney.
He said, too, that there was no altercation between himself and any Customs or police officer at the airport nor did it become necessary at any stage for him to protest any search nor to tender any advice as to the right of searching diplomats or diplomatic pouches, since neither was present.
Said Patterson: "So far as I am aware, the Customs Department and the airport police made the usual checks of the aircraft after the passengers, including myself, had left the airport premises without any concern being expressed as to the contents of whatever we all had taken for a simple one day trip.
"The crew members were also permitted to proceed to their hotel as arranged in Kingston as nothing extraordinary was found either on the plane itself or on their persons," he added.
Patterson said he had chosen to state the "incontrovertible facts for the public record and categorically deny the false and spurious allegations relating to [him] that others have contrived".
Digicel also said Patterson and the other passengers cleared Customs and Immigration in the usual way and left the airport with no issues at all.
"To be absolutely clear, there were no Cuban nationals on board the Digicel-chartered plane. Further, we have no knowledge whatsoever of any dispute at the airport, nor are we aware of any alleged diplomatic pouch on board," said Digicel.
The cellphone provider said media reports about alleged suspicious activities following the landing of its chartered plane were totally inconsistent with anything it saw or experienced.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...E_ORDERED_.asp
Saturday, May 16, 2009
THE Government has ordered a probe into the landing of a private aircraft travelling from Cuba at the Norman Manley International Airport shortly after 9:00 Thursday night, following allegations that a diplomatic pouch containing a large sum of US dollars was aboard.
PATTERSON. allegations false and spurious "The findings of the investigations are expected to be ready for Prime Minister Bruce Golding when he returns to the island on Sunday," the Ministry of National Security said in a statement yesterday afternoon.
At the same time, telecoms giant, Digicel, which had chartered the plane that was carrying former Prime Minister P J Patterson, two of his assistants and six employees of the cellphone provider, also called for an investigation into the matter after radio reports alleged that Cuban diplomats were among the passengers on the private jet.
"We hope and recommend that this whole issue is fully investigated by the Jamaican authorities, as we are deeply concerned with the irresponsible and damaging media reports which have surfaced to date," said a statement issued by Digicel's group head of public relations, Antonia Graham.
Patterson, meanwhile, dismissed the allegations about the diplomatic pouch and about Cubans being aboard the flight.
"On Thursday, May 14, I travelled by private aircraft with a high level delegation headed by the Group CEO of Digicel and members of its technical team to hold discussions with the Ministry of Informatics and Communication in Cuba.
"Digicel has been the first Caribbean operator to establish a commercial agreement with ETECSA and is seeking to expand its operations in the Cuban market.
"At the conclusion of our discussions in Havana, we returned home, landing at the Norman Manley Airport at 9:10 pm. The passengers on board were those who had gone to Cuba and did not include any diplomatic personnel or anyone of Cuban nationality.
"The plane conveyed no diplomatic pouch or diplomatic baggage on board.
"On landing, all passengers including myself, cleared Customs and Immigration in the customary fashion. After the requisite approval had been obtained from the Customs and Immigration, we all proceeded home," said Patterson, an attorney.
He said, too, that there was no altercation between himself and any Customs or police officer at the airport nor did it become necessary at any stage for him to protest any search nor to tender any advice as to the right of searching diplomats or diplomatic pouches, since neither was present.
Said Patterson: "So far as I am aware, the Customs Department and the airport police made the usual checks of the aircraft after the passengers, including myself, had left the airport premises without any concern being expressed as to the contents of whatever we all had taken for a simple one day trip.
"The crew members were also permitted to proceed to their hotel as arranged in Kingston as nothing extraordinary was found either on the plane itself or on their persons," he added.
Patterson said he had chosen to state the "incontrovertible facts for the public record and categorically deny the false and spurious allegations relating to [him] that others have contrived".
Digicel also said Patterson and the other passengers cleared Customs and Immigration in the usual way and left the airport with no issues at all.
"To be absolutely clear, there were no Cuban nationals on board the Digicel-chartered plane. Further, we have no knowledge whatsoever of any dispute at the airport, nor are we aware of any alleged diplomatic pouch on board," said Digicel.
The cellphone provider said media reports about alleged suspicious activities following the landing of its chartered plane were totally inconsistent with anything it saw or experienced.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...E_ORDERED_.asp
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