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Nov 14 date for Trafigura case
Published: Tuesday | June 28, 2011
Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
The Trafigura case, in which executive members of the People's National Party (PNP) - including its leader, Portia Simpson Miller - have been ordered by the Supreme Court to answer questions under oath in relation to a $31-million donation, has been put off to November 14.
The donation was made by the Dutch trading firm Trafigura Beheer in 2006 to the PNP.
Senior Puisne Judge Gloria Smith granted an adjournment yesterday after the court was told that Queen's Counsel Patrick Atkinson, one of the lawyers representing the PNP, had just received documents in the matter.
The court was also informed that K.D. Knight, QC, who is also appearing in the case, recently lost his mother.
Simpson Miller was not present at court yesterday, but PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill; member of parliament and former energy minister, Philip Paulwell; and former government minister Colin Campbell were at court.
Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels is representing Campbell.
The Dutch authorities want answers as to how the $31-million donation was made to the PNP.
The company had an oil-lifting agreement with Jamaica at the time of the donation. Dutch authorities want the parties to truthfully respond to questions that have been prepared for them to answer. The questions will be asked by lawyers from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Trafigura has come under scrutiny in The Netherlands as donations to political parties are against the law there.
However, the firm is claiming that the donation to the PNP was a commercial transaction.
Following public outrage, the PNP reported that it returned the money to Trafigura.
barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com
Published: Tuesday | June 28, 2011
Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
The Trafigura case, in which executive members of the People's National Party (PNP) - including its leader, Portia Simpson Miller - have been ordered by the Supreme Court to answer questions under oath in relation to a $31-million donation, has been put off to November 14.
The donation was made by the Dutch trading firm Trafigura Beheer in 2006 to the PNP.
Senior Puisne Judge Gloria Smith granted an adjournment yesterday after the court was told that Queen's Counsel Patrick Atkinson, one of the lawyers representing the PNP, had just received documents in the matter.
The court was also informed that K.D. Knight, QC, who is also appearing in the case, recently lost his mother.
Simpson Miller was not present at court yesterday, but PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill; member of parliament and former energy minister, Philip Paulwell; and former government minister Colin Campbell were at court.
Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels is representing Campbell.
The Dutch authorities want answers as to how the $31-million donation was made to the PNP.
The company had an oil-lifting agreement with Jamaica at the time of the donation. Dutch authorities want the parties to truthfully respond to questions that have been prepared for them to answer. The questions will be asked by lawyers from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Trafigura has come under scrutiny in The Netherlands as donations to political parties are against the law there.
However, the firm is claiming that the donation to the PNP was a commercial transaction.
Following public outrage, the PNP reported that it returned the money to Trafigura.
barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com