What they said

The following are excerpts from articles published earlier this year as concerns began to heighten over the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP).

MAY: Davies demanded audit

Opposition spokesman on finance Dr Omar Davies wanted Contractor General Greg Christie and Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis to implement a system to audit the contracts/works under the JDIP.

Davies demanded public disclosure of all contracts with the China Ex-Im Bank, China Harbour, NWA, Road Maintenance Fund and any other Government entity involved.

JUNE: Bruce had JDIP jitters

Prime Minister Bruce Golding expressed concern about the operations of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP).

Golding said the National Works Agency (NWA) had been ordered to hire an independent firm to approve every payment to be made under the JDIP.

"And my instructions to them last week were that we must now seek to procure the services of an independent firm of competent people who will have to certify that works carried out are in accordance with the scope of works, and that the payment certificate submitted for approval is in accordance with the work that is actually carried out," Golding told a gathering of Jamaica Labour Party councillors and caretakers at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

"As I said, that programme is too vital to us for us to allow even the appearance of anything wrong."

JUNE: Christie wanted answers

DAYS AFTER it was revealed that a one-kilometre Christiana bypass road was costing taxpayers $800 million, Contractor General Greg Christie demanded details from the National Works Agency (NWA).

In a letter dated June 3 to NWA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Wong, the OCG requested that the information be provided by noon of Friday, June 10.

The NWA boss was also asked to submit to the OCG an executive summary setting out the reasons for the "seemingly high construction cost for the project and the rationale for selecting the project under JDIP if there was sufficient evidence that the overall cost of the project would have been abnormally high".