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A senior member of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) believes the party may have acted hastily when it brought the information which led to the Trafigura saga to light in 2006.
Two diplomatic cables accessed by The Gleaner through WikiLeaks claim the JLP official believed that Trafigura could have torpedoed the People’s National Party (PNP) out of power if it had been handled differently.
He also reportedly stated that the JLP had made a mistake in going after Portia Simpson Miller with a no confidence motion at the height of the Trafigura affair.
The Trafigura controversy broke in October, 2006 when then Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding presented evidence that the Dutch firm had sent $31 million to PNP officials.
But based on a cable sent that same month, the JLP official reportedly indicated that he thought the party’s leadership had made a mistake by bringing the issue into the public domain too soon.
He reportedly argued that the revelations only served to ensure that the ruling PNP would not call the elections that year.
According to the cable, the JLP official described the PNP as unethical and criminal, as he seemingly pushed for US support in the lead up to the then pending general elections.
Another cable stated that the JLP official said he thought his party should have focused on then Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce minister, Phillip Paulwell, rather than PNP leader and then Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, in its no-confidence motion.
He reportedly felt there was no way that such a popular Prime Minister was going down but that the PNP may have given up Paulwell.
The cable also alleged that the JLP official was convinced that Simpson Miller knew more about the Trafigura matter than she was admitting.
But he said his party was hesitant in pursuing her too vigorously since she was so loved by the Jamaican people.
The PNP had said the Trafigura money was a campaign contribution and was returned after public outcry.
But the firm said the money was payment for services.
The controversy eventually led to the resignation of PNP General Secretary Colin Campbell.
Listen to Audio clip
Trafigura report.
Two diplomatic cables accessed by The Gleaner through WikiLeaks claim the JLP official believed that Trafigura could have torpedoed the People’s National Party (PNP) out of power if it had been handled differently.
He also reportedly stated that the JLP had made a mistake in going after Portia Simpson Miller with a no confidence motion at the height of the Trafigura affair.
The Trafigura controversy broke in October, 2006 when then Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding presented evidence that the Dutch firm had sent $31 million to PNP officials.
But based on a cable sent that same month, the JLP official reportedly indicated that he thought the party’s leadership had made a mistake by bringing the issue into the public domain too soon.
He reportedly argued that the revelations only served to ensure that the ruling PNP would not call the elections that year.
According to the cable, the JLP official described the PNP as unethical and criminal, as he seemingly pushed for US support in the lead up to the then pending general elections.
Another cable stated that the JLP official said he thought his party should have focused on then Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce minister, Phillip Paulwell, rather than PNP leader and then Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, in its no-confidence motion.
He reportedly felt there was no way that such a popular Prime Minister was going down but that the PNP may have given up Paulwell.
The cable also alleged that the JLP official was convinced that Simpson Miller knew more about the Trafigura matter than she was admitting.
But he said his party was hesitant in pursuing her too vigorously since she was so loved by the Jamaican people.
The PNP had said the Trafigura money was a campaign contribution and was returned after public outcry.
But the firm said the money was payment for services.
The controversy eventually led to the resignation of PNP General Secretary Colin Campbell.
Listen to Audio clip
Trafigura report.
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