MIGNOTT, left, and SIMPSON MILLERErica Virtue, Staff Reporter
NOEL MIGNOTT has resigned as the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) Deputy Director for the Americas, amid investigations into operations at the JTB's New York office, but this was not asked for by Tourism Minister Portia Simpson Miller, the Ministry said yesterday.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sport, in confirming his resignation, said the audit into the office's operations will be among the major issues to be dealt with by the Minister at tomorrow's extra-ordinary meeting of the JTB Board.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Loraine Robinson, asked if she knew the reason Mr. Mignott gave for his resignation said, "I have not been privy to that. The resignation letter would have gone to the Director of Tourism, and it will naturally go to the board meeting, since he is such a senior officer."
She reiterated: "I really don't know if he gave any reasons (for his resignation) and to my knowledge, no one asked him to resign."
That aside, the Minister is expected to have her hands full dealing with the findings of the audit done a few weeks ago by the agency's chief auditor, Colin Greenland.
The Minister ordered the audit after allegations of impropriety were made against senior staff at the New York office. Senior officials were accused of, among other things, using JTB funds to assist with the campaign of a United States politician.
The meeting will also discuss the names submitted by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) to fill the vacant positions on the JTB left more than a month ago. The names submitted are Paul Pennicooke, CEO of Couples resorts; David Lindo, who represented the cruise shipping and attractions sector; Josef Forstmayr, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA); and Michael Campbell, ground transportation.
They resigned, the JHTA said, to make way for a major restructuring of the JTB.
