Minott
Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
DR. DENNIS MINOTT, the Jamaica Labour Party's caretaker candidate for East Portland, is sticking to his claim that massive bribery took place among delegates in that constituency for the party's 60th annual conference last November.
Speaking to The Sunday Gleaner yesterday, Mr. Minott said he discovered many instances of fraud during an independent investigation, and reported his findings to Political Ombudsman Herro Blair in February.
Dr. Minott told The Sunday Gleaner that he was surprised that members of the JLP executive, including General Secretary Karl Samuda, have said they had little knowledge of his report to Bishop Blair.
"The Secretary knew that I spoke to the Ombudsman from February. They are acting like they just know," said Dr. Minott. "I was surprised when I got the call (from The Gleaner) they are the ones who went public."
The Gleaner broke the story last Thursday that Dr. Minott had gone to Bishop Blair with a report that seemed to justify Olivia 'Babsy' Grange's charge that her opponent James Robertson had bribed delegates to win their Deputy Leader race.
According to Dr. Minott, he wrote to the JLP secretariat about the same time he went to Bishop Blair. Last week, he told The Sunday Gleaner that the secretariat responded to his letter five weeks later.
Dr. Minott declined to comment on the amount of money that was allegedly spent to woo voters, but said it was upsetting enough for him to report the results of his investigations to Bishop Blair.
"It's massive never before seen in this country," said Dr. Minott. "When I saw it I said 'if it can happen in one constituency this thing can happen nationally'."
Mr. Robertson, one of the young firebrands in the JLP, defeated Miss Grange 584 to 469 in one of two races for Deputy Leader. In the other poll Horace Chang also easily beat Ed Bartlett, another incumbent.
The results were seen as victories for the so-called reformist wing of the party and a major loss for the JLP's old guard which is loyal to Mr. Seaga, who has been leader of the JLP since 1973.
When the results of the poll were announced, an angry Miss Grange accused her opponents of bribing delegates. The following week, Mr. Seaga supported her charge saying that 'tainted money' had played a part in the election's outcome.
Daryl Vaz, manager of Robert-son's campaign, reported the charge to the police who are still investigating Mr. Seaga's claim. Dr. Minott says he has not heard from Mr. Seaga since the latest revelation.
Dr. Minott, who operates the A- Quest programme for special students, has been in the news of late. Three weeks ago, his scathing report on the performance of secondary schools in the 2003 CXC exams was published to widespread criticism from schools and educators who said that his analysis was flawed.
Dr. Minott has been a member of the JLP for 10 years. He contested the East Portland seat for the party in the 2002 General Elections but lost to the People's National Party's Donald Rhodd.
