Neither mischief nor malice

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Below is a open letter from Contractor General Greg Christie.

Dear C. Anthony:

The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) has taken note of your letter which has been published in yesterday's edition of The Gleaner and the Observer newspapers under the respective captions of 'Is Christie on mission of mischief or malice?' and 'Show the evidence, CG'.

I must assure you that the assumptions that are reflected in your letter are unfounded and cannot be credibly substantiated.

Indeed, your assumption that the OCG's interest in and/or publication of particulars, regarding the Jamaica Development Infrastruture Programme (JDIP) subcontracts, is in some way associated with a malicious motive on the part of the OCG towards Mr Y.P. Seaton, and/or his alleged bird-shooting vacation with the prime minister, is unfortunate as it is false.

Safeguarding transparency

In point of fact, the OCG's documented interest and efforts in seeking to bring transparency and disclosure to all JDIP subcontracts and subcontractors, in keeping with the discharge of its statutory mandates under the Contractor General Act, can be traced as far back as to September 15, 2010, several months before the country, the OCG and yourself learnt of the alleged June 2011 vacation of Mr Seaton and the prime minister.

Additionally, your suggestion that the OCG has imputed illegality in the award of contracts to Y.P. Seaton and Associates Ltd is also regrettable as no such imputation or inference has been made by the OCG.

I have set out, hereunder, for your ease of reference, the e-links to the full texts of the OCG's Media Statements of May 16, 2011 and June 27, 2011, regarding the JDIP issue, which I would encourage you to read in their entirety. I have no doubt that once you have read both statements you will appreciate that the public positions which you have advanced in your letter are both unfounded and erroneous.

1. OCG Media Release - 'OCG Writes to NWA Outlining Particulars of its Failure to Comply with OCG Requisitions for the Provision of Information on JDIP Project' (May 16, 2011)

http://www.ocg.gov.jm/website_files/media_releases_issued/media200.pdf

2. OCG Media Release - 'OCG Publishes Particulars of JDIP Sub-Contractors and Contract Awards' (June 27, 2011)

http://www.ocg.gov.jm/website_files/media_releases_issued/media210.pdf

In closing, I would like to thank you for your interest in the work of the OCG.

Greg Christie

Contractor General