PNP pressures DPP

The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) has come out swinging against the director of public prosecutions (DPP) after she belatedly admitted to not asking law-enforcement officials in the United Kingdom (UK) for evidence that could bolster the corruption probe against government member of parliament (MP) Jospeh Hibbert, months after she unequivocally said the request was dispatched.

In a scathing statement issued yesterday, the PNP questioned DPP Paula Llewellyn's competence and will to prosecute the former state minister.

"The ongoing failure to request the UK to provide the evidence which will enable a prosecution to proceed, coupled with the conflicting statements from the DPP, raise questions as to the DPP's capacity or will to deal with this matter," it said in a release over the name of Senator Mark Golding.

The admission from Llewellyn came nearly four months after she stated that Jamaica had asked for the information, only to reveal late last week that the request never left the 'out' tray on her desk.

She said it was the police's fault. Llewellyn argued that the request was grounded because dithering local investigators failed to provide her office with "certain things" needed to "lay the basis in law" to support the request that is expected to be made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

The PNP expressed alarm at Llewellyn's about-face. "Several months ago, the DPP was reported to have indicated, in unqualified terms, that the request for the evidence had been dispatched to the UK authorities. Yesterday's report that no such request has in fact been made by the DPP is, therefore, alarming," read a section of the release.

passing of the buck

The PNP also chided the State prosecutor for what it characterised as a passing of the buck. "Instead of accepting responsibility for this situation, the DPP has sought to shift the blame onto the local police. The Opposition finds this excuse wholly unsatisfactory and inadequate," noted the PNP. The Opposition argued that it would not accept the State prosecutor's argument for two reasons. Firstly, the PNP argued that the contractor general investigated the case some two years ago and issued "a most damning report".

The investigation against Hibbert, the MP for East Rural St Andrew and a former junior minister in the Ministry of Transport and Works, was triggered by allegations raised by UK-based bridge-building firm Mabey & Johnson that he accepted payments totaling £100,000 to help it win government contracts valued at millions of dollars.

For more than a year, local investigators have been trying to get important evidence gathered by UK authorities that was to be used in Mabey & Johnson's corruption trial.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com