DPP's opinion on LNG investigation premature - Christie

CONTRACTOR GENERAL Greg Christie is suggesting that an opinion from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in which it reportedly "closed the door" on a major investigation report into a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, citing "multiple irregularities and improprieties", was premature.

The Office of the Contractor General (OCG), after a detailed investigation, had concluded that the entire tender process, won by a consortium led by the Belgian firm Exmar, was compromised, tainted by a conflict of interest and lacked objectivity and impartiality.

In a 19-page letter to the OCG, the ODPP indicated that while Exmar Consortium was at a clear advantage when they submitted their proposal to the technical evaluation committee. "We identify no evidential, whether direct or circumstantial basis, to draw the inference that their advantageous position was the result of bid-rigging or corruption on the part of Ian Moore or Stephen Wedderburn."

But Christie is contending that the OCG's FSRU-LNG Investigation Report was referred to the DPP and the commissioner of police for further investigation as they "may deem appropriate" into the actions of Moore and Wedderburn and Conrad Kerr, and not for an opinion to be proffered on the report.

The contractor general argued that the matter was referred to the DPP and the commissioner for them to "determine whether Ian Moore and/or Stephen Wedderburn used their respective public offices in a conspiratory, fraudulent, corrupt, clandestine and/or surreptitious manner to inure a future illicit benefit for themselves, Caribbean LNG (Jamaica) Limited and/or the Exmar Consortium ... ".

Seemingly 'closed door' on case

Christie is contending that despite the OCG's specific recommendation that further investigations should be undertaken into the matter by Jamaica's criminal-investigation authorities, nowhere in the ODPP's letter does it state that this has been done. "Notwithstanding, the ODPP has seemingly 'closed the door on the case' without having had the benefit of the outcome of the referenced investigations," he added.

The contractor general, in a release last week, said he had conveyed to the commissioner of police what he regarded to be "highly confidential information, regarding certain matters that were the subject of the OCG's investigation."

Christie noted that the specifics of the information that was relayed to the commissioner was of such a sensitive and pivotal nature that it could not be made public at that time and still cannot be made public.