Probe widens into Strathairn contracts

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

Two government entities have been raided in the latest episode in Contractor General Greg Christie's investigation of contracts awarded to a company linked to state minister in the Ministry of Water and Housing, Everald Warmington.

Yesterday, word emerged that Christie had expanded the ambit of the probe of Strathairn Construction Company Limited.

Christie said he dispatched a team which swooped down on the Ministry of Transport and Works and the National Works Agency (NWA) on Wednesday.

The team raided the two government entities for clues in its probe into allegations of misconduct in the award of government contracts to the construction firm.

Christie, who had been the subject of Warmington's caustic criticisms after he first revealed the probe, stressed yesterday that his office was objectively executing its mandate.

"It is my hope that (Warmington) would have come to realise that the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) is merely dispassionately discharging a mandate which has been imposed upon it by a statute - a statute that was crafted not by the OCG, but by the very Parliament in which he, Mr Warmington, now sits," said Christie.

Retraction

On Tuesday, Warmington withdrew his characterisation of Christie as an "overzealous idiot" and Christie said he had responded to a letter that has been sent to him seeking clarifications.

"Despite the fact that I have not had the privilege of receiving his apology personally, I have, nonetheless, accepted it in principle and I wish Mr Warmington all that is well," Christie said.

"The OCG's response (to Warmington) has essentially addressed certain inaccuracies and erroneous assumptions that were embodied in the member of parliament's letter," he added.

The OCG's letter to Warmington was copied to Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

The contractor general said the expanded probe would include scrutiny of contracts which have been performed by Strathairn for and on behalf of the NWA and/or the Ministry of Transport and Works.

"The OCG's preliminary document review, which received the cooperation of the MTW/NWA, has disclosed that sums amounting to approximately $70 million were paid by the NWA to Strathairn between March 2007 and June 2010, reportedly in respect of certain government contracts which have been performed by SCCL and in respect of which the OCG has a number of concerns," the statement from the OCG said.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com