PM says any move to exclude Wheatley from running in next general election "premature"

 

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said it would be premature at this time to consider axing Dr. Andrew Wheatley from the list of Jamaica Labour Party candidates for the next general election in the wake of the Integrity Commission's damning reports on state-owned oil refinery Petrojam.

 

Dr. Wheatley, the former energy minister, was labelled as dishonest in one of the reports.

 

Asked Wednesday morning about Dr. Wheatley's political future, Mr. Holness said it would be "premature" to consider any action to exclude the former minister from running as a candidate in the next general election, "bearing in mind that there are situations where, if for example, there is a prosecution then he would be held to account through that process." 

 

Furthermore, he contended that Dr. Wheatley is an elected member of parliament so "the party would have to look very closely before making any decision about not returning him as a part of our slate for the next general election, whenever that would be." 

 

In the Integrity Commission report, a statement provided to the Director of  Investigation by Dr. Wheatley regarding his relationship or affiliation with Sophia Deer was described as disingenuous. 

 

The Director said the conclusion is based on Dr. Wheatley being less than truthful when he described Miss Deer as his former Technical Assistant.

 

Miss Deer has been revealed to be the mother of Dr. Wheatley's nephew.

 

Mr. Holness said Cabinet will review the Integrity Commission reports before making an official statement.

 

The reports, which were tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, revealed several instances of nepotism, corruption, breaches of government rules and procedures in relation to hiring and procurement at Petrojam. 

 

 

 

Jeanette Calder, Executive Director of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal, has said Dr. Wheatley should resign as Member of Parliament.

 

Ms Calder said this action should have been taken when allegations of  corruption surfaced at Petrojam with the Auditor General's report in 2018. 

 

"It goes to show that if I am saying that in light of what the Auditor General had already shared, that I felt that it would have been appropriate for the former minister to do so, certainly with the details that have come forward now, it removes any doubt in my mind that it would be the right thing to do for Jamaica," she insisted.