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Warmington linked to contract scandal
Warmington linked to contract scandal
Everald Warminton, (Gleaner Company photo).
At least one Member of Parliament (MP) and a senior public official have been named in the latest investigation by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) into irregularities at a public body.
A major probe has been launched into allegations of impropriety and irregularity in the award of more than $100 million worth of Government contracts, by the St. Catherine Parish Council to Strathairn Construction Company Limited.
The allegations, some of which have reportedly been corroborated by an OCG Preliminary Enquiry, have raised questions regarding possible breaches of the Government’s Procurement Procedures, the Contractor General Act, the Financial Administration and Audit Act and the Corruption Prevention Act, amongst other laws.
Warmington’s company awarded several contracts
According to the OCG, it had a sworn written statement and tape-recording given under the threat of criminal prosecution, alleging that certain contracts issued by the St. Catherine Parish Council for work in the St. Catherine South Western Constituency, may have been influenced by the Member of Parliament in question, Everald Warmington.
Further questions have arisen because the company that got the contract is one which, up to 2007, had links to Mr. Warmington and received almost all the contracts awarded in that constituency over the years.
The OCG claims there are discrepancies as to whether the MP had “resigned” from the company as he claimed.
Mr. Warmington, the State’s watch-dog agency says, was, at least up to 2009, still actively in control of the company and controlled the cheque book.
Senior public official got kickbacks for awarding contracts
The OCG alleges that when the MP did resign as a Director in the company, he added the names of his sister and brother to the company’s payroll.
The sworn statement by the OCG's witness also implicates at least one senior public officer of the St. Catherine Parish Council as having received ‘kickbacks’ for his role in the improper award of contracts to the company.
The allegations were enough to trigger a preliminary enquiry last February which the OCG says has already corroborated some of the allegations against Mr. Warmington.
The Prime Minister, under whose Office the Local Government Portfolio falls, as well as Robert Montague, State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Local Government, have been written to about the issue.
Councillor linked to company which received bulk of Council’s contracts
In the meantime, the OCG has also raised concerns about the addition of the name of a St. Catherine councillor, linked to the Old Harbour Division, to the list of Directors of Strathairn Construction Company, since March 2003.
The oversight agency also points to the subsequent funnelling of millions of dollars of Parish Council contracts to the company, over the years.
The OCG says its most recent checks show that from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009, the St. Catherine Parish Council awarded as many as 18 contracts, worth $65.3 million to Strathairn Construction Company Limited.
The OCG’s own records show that for the period July to September 2008, 10 contracts - worth $20.6-million - went to the same company, and all were awarded in a single day.
The same thing reportedly happened in 2009, around the corresponding time; eight contracts were awarded to Straithairn, on a single day.
Contracts splintered
The OCG says there is evidence to suggest that some of the contracts were ‘splintered’, allowing them to slip past the scrutiny and oversight of the National Contracts Commission (NCC).
The pattern of awarding multiple contracts to the company continued over the years, according to the OCG's records.
In one case in the third Quarter of 2009 the St. Catherine Parish Council awarded five contracts worth $39 million to Strathairn.
The OCG says as recently as last week, August 10, it received more verbal complaints alleging the involvement of senior public officials at the Parish Council in the improper award of contracts to Strathairn Construction Company Limited.
Warmington rubbishes OCG’s claims
And Mr. Warmington has dismissed the OCG’s allegations.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for South West St. Catherine, dismissed the OCG's claims as unfounded.
“Nonsense … there are many investigations he has launched and claims to have launched and sullied people’s character and there’s no evidence to back it up when he completes his investigation. He’s welcome to conduct any investigation he wants (but) what I’m saying is that what I’m seeing on paper is total rubbish,” Mr. Warmington said.
The defiant MP also heaped scorn on the Greg Christie, Contractor General.
“I think he’s just overzealous and just goes off on his own. I think he’s a mental case,” he said.
Everald Warminton, (Gleaner Company photo).
At least one Member of Parliament (MP) and a senior public official have been named in the latest investigation by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) into irregularities at a public body.
A major probe has been launched into allegations of impropriety and irregularity in the award of more than $100 million worth of Government contracts, by the St. Catherine Parish Council to Strathairn Construction Company Limited.
The allegations, some of which have reportedly been corroborated by an OCG Preliminary Enquiry, have raised questions regarding possible breaches of the Government’s Procurement Procedures, the Contractor General Act, the Financial Administration and Audit Act and the Corruption Prevention Act, amongst other laws.
Warmington’s company awarded several contracts
According to the OCG, it had a sworn written statement and tape-recording given under the threat of criminal prosecution, alleging that certain contracts issued by the St. Catherine Parish Council for work in the St. Catherine South Western Constituency, may have been influenced by the Member of Parliament in question, Everald Warmington.
Further questions have arisen because the company that got the contract is one which, up to 2007, had links to Mr. Warmington and received almost all the contracts awarded in that constituency over the years.
The OCG claims there are discrepancies as to whether the MP had “resigned” from the company as he claimed.
Mr. Warmington, the State’s watch-dog agency says, was, at least up to 2009, still actively in control of the company and controlled the cheque book.
Senior public official got kickbacks for awarding contracts
The OCG alleges that when the MP did resign as a Director in the company, he added the names of his sister and brother to the company’s payroll.
The sworn statement by the OCG's witness also implicates at least one senior public officer of the St. Catherine Parish Council as having received ‘kickbacks’ for his role in the improper award of contracts to the company.
The allegations were enough to trigger a preliminary enquiry last February which the OCG says has already corroborated some of the allegations against Mr. Warmington.
The Prime Minister, under whose Office the Local Government Portfolio falls, as well as Robert Montague, State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Local Government, have been written to about the issue.
Councillor linked to company which received bulk of Council’s contracts
In the meantime, the OCG has also raised concerns about the addition of the name of a St. Catherine councillor, linked to the Old Harbour Division, to the list of Directors of Strathairn Construction Company, since March 2003.
The oversight agency also points to the subsequent funnelling of millions of dollars of Parish Council contracts to the company, over the years.
The OCG says its most recent checks show that from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009, the St. Catherine Parish Council awarded as many as 18 contracts, worth $65.3 million to Strathairn Construction Company Limited.
The OCG’s own records show that for the period July to September 2008, 10 contracts - worth $20.6-million - went to the same company, and all were awarded in a single day.
The same thing reportedly happened in 2009, around the corresponding time; eight contracts were awarded to Straithairn, on a single day.
Contracts splintered
The OCG says there is evidence to suggest that some of the contracts were ‘splintered’, allowing them to slip past the scrutiny and oversight of the National Contracts Commission (NCC).
The pattern of awarding multiple contracts to the company continued over the years, according to the OCG's records.
In one case in the third Quarter of 2009 the St. Catherine Parish Council awarded five contracts worth $39 million to Strathairn.
The OCG says as recently as last week, August 10, it received more verbal complaints alleging the involvement of senior public officials at the Parish Council in the improper award of contracts to Strathairn Construction Company Limited.
Warmington rubbishes OCG’s claims
And Mr. Warmington has dismissed the OCG’s allegations.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for South West St. Catherine, dismissed the OCG's claims as unfounded.
“Nonsense … there are many investigations he has launched and claims to have launched and sullied people’s character and there’s no evidence to back it up when he completes his investigation. He’s welcome to conduct any investigation he wants (but) what I’m saying is that what I’m seeing on paper is total rubbish,” Mr. Warmington said.
The defiant MP also heaped scorn on the Greg Christie, Contractor General.
“I think he’s just overzealous and just goes off on his own. I think he’s a mental case,” he said.
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