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DPP clears air on LNG ruling
Published:Friday September 23, 2011 | 9:35 am 0 Comments
Debbie-Ann Wright, Assistant News Editor
The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Paula Llewellyn, said her office decided against further pursuing allegations made by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) in relation to Jamaica’s LNG project because the evidence was not strong enough.
The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) had suggested a conspiratorial relationship involving two public officials and the Exmar Consortium which was chosen to build a floating storage and re-gasification unit for LNG.
The OCG had asked the police and the DPP to investigate whether former chairman of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, Ian Moore, and head of the LNG programme, Stephen Wedderburn, used their public offices in a fraudulent manner to elicit benefits for themselves or Exmar Consortium.
This week, the DPP ruled there is no evidence to draw the inference that Exmar’s advantageous position was the result of bid-rigging or corruption on the part of Moore or Wedderburn.
Yesterday, Contractor General, Greg Christie, raised concerns that the DPP has wrapped up the case without a criminal investigation being conducted.
However, Llewellyn said deputy DPP, Caroline Hay, and a team scoured the OCG’s report and did not think there was enough evidence to warrant further investigation.
Llewellyn said her office is willing to re-examine the case if new evidence is presented.
In the meantime, former chairman of the Petroleum Corporation, Ian Moore has welcomed the DPP’s ruling.
He said the ruling shows that the Government’s decision to abort the original tender process was ill-conceived and that Jamaicans will continue to suffer higher energy costs as a result.
debbie-ann.wright@gleanerjm.com
Published:Friday September 23, 2011 | 9:35 am 0 Comments
Debbie-Ann Wright, Assistant News Editor
The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Paula Llewellyn, said her office decided against further pursuing allegations made by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) in relation to Jamaica’s LNG project because the evidence was not strong enough.
The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) had suggested a conspiratorial relationship involving two public officials and the Exmar Consortium which was chosen to build a floating storage and re-gasification unit for LNG.
The OCG had asked the police and the DPP to investigate whether former chairman of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, Ian Moore, and head of the LNG programme, Stephen Wedderburn, used their public offices in a fraudulent manner to elicit benefits for themselves or Exmar Consortium.
This week, the DPP ruled there is no evidence to draw the inference that Exmar’s advantageous position was the result of bid-rigging or corruption on the part of Moore or Wedderburn.
Yesterday, Contractor General, Greg Christie, raised concerns that the DPP has wrapped up the case without a criminal investigation being conducted.
However, Llewellyn said deputy DPP, Caroline Hay, and a team scoured the OCG’s report and did not think there was enough evidence to warrant further investigation.
Llewellyn said her office is willing to re-examine the case if new evidence is presented.
In the meantime, former chairman of the Petroleum Corporation, Ian Moore has welcomed the DPP’s ruling.
He said the ruling shows that the Government’s decision to abort the original tender process was ill-conceived and that Jamaicans will continue to suffer higher energy costs as a result.
debbie-ann.wright@gleanerjm.com