Seaga
Tudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
JAMAICA LABOUR Party (JLP) leader, Edward Seaga, yesterday backtracked on allegations he made that tainted money was used to finance James Robertson's successful campaign for deputy leadership.
A release from Mr. Seaga's office yesterday said the Opposition Leader met with Mr. Robertson and was satisfied that his team did not finance the campaign from inappropriate funds.
"Mr. Robertson provided information of the sources of the contributions to his campaign. Based on these discussions, Mr. Seaga said that whilst the information was not complete, Mr. Robertson was able to satisfy him that his sources of funding were genuine," the release said.
Speaking with The Gleaner last night, Mr. Robertson confirmed the meeting and said he "provided him with the necessary information to satisfy him as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party that one of his deputy leader's campaign was not funded with tainted money. I have not provided Mr. Seaga with a list (of donors). I provided the necessary information to show how we were able to fund ourselves without illegitimate funds being used," Mr. Robertson explained.
The Gleaner was unable to make contact with Daryl Vaz, chairman of Mr. Robertson's finance committee last night, but speaking on television last night, Mr. Vaz said he would not be surprised by the development and maintained the integrity of the campaign funds.
On Thursday, Mr. Vaz said he wrote to Commissioner Forbes asking him to insist that Mr. Seaga provide the evidence of what he said was a clear reference to money laundering on the part of the Robertson team.
This followed allegations made by Mr. Seaga the same day on a radio programme.
Yesterday Police Commissioner Francis Forbes instructed one of his top officers to launch investigations into the allegations.
Deputy Commissioner in charge of crime, Lucius Thomas, confirmed his new orders, in an interview with The Gleaner.
The probe which was requested from within the Robertson camp should begin early next week and the selected investigator will be interviewing all parties involved, said DCP Thomas. It was not immediately clear how this new occurrence will affect the police investigations.
In the meantime, the executive of the JLP Area Council Two, which Robertson now leads, also rejected the charges of tainted funds against his campaign team, noting that they "have seen no evidence of this."
In a release yesterday, the Council's executive members said they have validated the electoral process at the Council's monthly meeting on Thursday and are convinced that "Saturday's elections for deputy leader were free and fair and free from fear."
They vowed to resist all attempts 'to malign' Robertson, whom they described as a man of honesty and integrity.
Mr. Robertson on Saturday ousted Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, whom Seaga was supporting, to take the post of deputy leader for Area Council Two. Since then allegations have swirled around the financing of his campaign and whether money was used to buy votes. Robertson has denied the suggestions.
During last week's race, Dr. Horace Chang also defeated veteran politician Edmund Bartlett for the post of deputy leader for Area Council Four.
