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Patterson
SEVENTEEN MEMBERS of the Cabinet issued a joint statement yesterday, challenging the public to produce evidence linking them to "telephone or other conversation" involving criminal or corrupt activities.
The Ministers said that they support the position taken by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in last week's statement to Parliament; they have heard no tapes containing material related to alleged wiretappings by the security forces; and, they had not participated in any telephone or other conversation involving criminal or corrupt activities.
They challenged the public, as well as the leadership of both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the National Democratic Movement (NDM), to present evidence to the contrary, or desist from "speculation and innuendo" and the possibility of creating public mischief.
The statement follows recent disclosures of wiretappings, allegedly conducted by an intelligence unit formed by the Commissioner of Police and based at 62 Lady Musgrave Road, St. Andrew. The unit, headed by a civilian Roderick "Jimmy" McGregor, was alleged to have tapped the telephones of a number of persons, including politicians and so-called "drug dons". But, both Prime Minister Patterson and Minister of National Security and Justice, K.D. Knight, have denied giving consent or approval.
Since the story was reported last month, there has been widespread speculation about the existence of tapes containing conversations between Cabinet members and "drug dons", and the involvement of the police with Colombian drug traffickers.
The House of Representatives is to continue debate today on a Motion from Government backbencher Doreen Chen (South Trelawny), calling Members of Parliament to divulge any information they have on contacts between the police and/or politicians and Colombian drug dons.
Yesterday's statement from Cabinet Ministers read:
"We, the Members of the Cabinet of Jamaica declare that:
"(1) We support the position taken by the Prime Minister in his statement to Parliament on October 24, 2000, and will continue to do everything in our power to operate with integrity and to protect and enhance the reputation of our country.
"(2) We have heard no audio tapes containing telephone conversations or any other material which relate to the alleged wiretapping by any investigative, intelligence or other group established by or linked to the security forces.
"(3) No signatory hereto has participated in telephone or other conversation which involve criminal activity or corrupt practices.
"(4) We challenge any member of the public, including the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of the National Democratic Movement, to present any evidence which they have to the contrary, failing which we call upon them to desist from speculation and innuendo and to avoid the possibility of creating public mischief."
The 17 signatories were Seymour Mullings, Omar Davies, Portia Simpson Miller, Robert Pickersgill, Paul Robertson, K.D. Knight, Peter Phillips, Burchell Whiteman, Maxine Henry-Wilson, Roger Clarke, John Junor, Arnold Bertram, Karl Blythe, Phillip Paulwell, A.J. Nicholson and Donald Buchanan.
Prime Minister Patterson is the eighteenth member of the Cabinet.
