By Garwin Davis, Assistant News EditorJAMAICA LABOUR Party (JLP) leader Edward Seaga will have to furnish evidence of improriety on the part of James Robertson's campaign team during last week's race for deputy leader or risk facing legal action.
This, according to Daryl Vaz, chairman of Robertson's Finance Committtee, has become necessary following disparaging remarks made by Mr. Seaga yesterday on national radio.
"Like everyone else, we have listened to Mr. Seaga on the Hot 102 radio programme, the Breakfast Club, with shock and dismay," Mr. Vaz said last night. "Mr. Seaga informed the listening public that he had in his possession, information concerning the use of tainted money in the James Robertson campaign for the post of deputy leader of the JLP. We challenge Mr. Seaga to publicly present such evidence. Furthermore, since such evidence is in the possession of Mr. Seaga, then he must, in the capacity of Leader of Her Majesty's loyal Opposition, present such to the relevant authorities in order that the appropriate criminal action may be taken."
Mr. Vaz added, however, that they would not be complying with the JLP leader's demand that he be furnished with a list of donors.
WRITTEN TO COMMISSIONER
"We have taken a decision that, whatever the threatened repercussions, we will not be responding to that directive."
Mr. Vaz said that they have already written to Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes asking him to insist that Mr. Seaga provide the evidence of what he said was a clear reference to money laundering on the part of the Robertson team.
Mr. Seaga, up to press time, could not be reached for comment. Prudence Kidd-Deans, a party spokesperson, said the Opposition Leader had been locked in meetings all day.
Mr. Seaga had said on the Breakfast Club that he had information that "illegal money" had been used during the elections for deputy leaders of the JLP at the National Arena in Kingston last week. He also said that an investigation was under way to get to the bottom of the matter.
Robertson on Sunday ousted Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, whom Seaga was supporting, to take the post of deputy leader for Area Council Two.
Abe Dabdoub, an Opposition Member of Parliament and one of the party's spokesmen on election matters, said last night that the current probe was not directed at Mr. Robertson. He said that since no candidate handles money in his campaign, whatever the party was doing was not aimed at Robertson personally.
"James Robertson doesn't necessarily go around collecting money," Mr. Dabdoud said. "No candidate has time to go out and collect money, and at the same, is running around trying to solicit votes from potential voters for his campaign. There are teams of people who assist in doing this."
OUT OF ORDER...OUT OF LINE
For the Robertson camp, however, Mr. Dabdoub's "spin" yesterday, came "a little too late."
"Mr. Seaga was way out of order...out of line. There was no ambiguity in what he said, it was both wrong and libellous," said Mr. Vaz.
"In the absence of the evidence to support the charge, nothing less than a public apology will do...an apology to me, to Mr. Robertson and the entire campaign team."
In the meantime, treasurer of the JLP, Christopher Bovell, said last night that the party "views with great concern the issues being raised in the media regarding party financing."
"The party has a responsibility to its supporters to ensure that donations solicited for use in the funding of political activities are of unquestionable sources and used in an accountable manner," he said.
"Financing within the party has always followed long established guidelines which require that persons who intend to approach donors for significant funding do so with the prior approval of the treasurer or deputy treasurer. This has functioned well over the years as it prevented the donors from being bombarded with several requests at the same time while also ensuring that the party maintained its distance from undesirable sources and ensured accountability."
Mr. Bovel added: "The issue is simply one of having candidates follow the rules and procedures regarding party financing and this need not to be resolved in the public domain."
