Former transport and Works Minister Mike Henry is contemplating legal action, mainly against senior members of the People's National Party (PNP), for some of the blistering attacks he endured for his handling of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP).

The report of the forensic audit into the programme was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Henry, who was stripped of his responsibility for the multimillion-dollar project before he resigned as works minister in late 2011, said his lawyers are already reviewing some of the verbal attacks directed at him, especially in the lead-up to the general election last December.

"I have been waiting on the completion of the forensic audit ... and my lawyers will decide whether I go or not," he said of possible legal action against senior members of the PNP.

swift PNP response

In a swift response, a deputy general secretary of the PNP, Julian Robinson, said he was not aware of the specific comments to which Henry was referring. He, however, said the party will "wait to see what he does and act accordingly".

"Mr Henry has a right, like every Jamaican if he feels he has been libelled, to seek recourse," Robinson said.

corruption implied

Henry, in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday, revealed that he has compiled a file on some of the comments made "from political platforms" that "implied or imputed corruption" in the execution of the US$400m programme.

"I am sure I remember one headline where the word 'fraud' was used, there was another headline that computer files were missing ... there was another one that said roads couldn't be found," he recalled.

The report of the audit, conducted by Canadian consulting firm Kroll Associates, pointed to a disregard for established government guidelines involving several JDIP projects. It, however, made no claim of corruption.

In the meantime, Henry said he is still analysing the audit against the manner in which he discharged his duties when he had responsibility for JDIP and up to the time he submitted his final report to Cabinet.

Asked if he felt vindicated by the audit, Henry said "one can only feel vindicated about something you have committed".