Dr. Andrew Wheatley resigns as Cabinet minister

6:01 pm, Mon July 30, 2018

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Dr. Andrew Wheatley - file photo

Dr. Andrew Wheatley has stepped down as Minister of Science and Technology after weeks of calls for him to resign.

In a letter to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, dated July 30, Dr. Wheatley said as someone who subscribes to the tenets of good governance and upholding public trust, he believes a general performance review of the board and executive levels of the Energy, Science, and Technology portfolios should be done without his presence or ministerial authority.

He then advised that, "with immediate effect, I will step back from my duties as Minister and Cabinet minister" to "focus on my Constituency and Parliamentary obligations."

Dr. Wheatley was relieved of the Energy portfolio earlier this month in the wake wake of scandals at Petrojam and the National Energy Solutions Limited (NESOL).

The People's National Party (PNP), in the meantime, has welcomed the resignation of Dr. Wheatley, with Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips calling the move "long overdue".

He noted that the investigations into the activities at Petrojam and NESOL "must be pursued to their final conclusions and let the chips fall where it may."

Further, the PNP called for "a full independent inquiry into the web of corrupt activities" in light of "deliberate actions by persons known and unknown to circumvent established procedures."

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