Blythe
WESTERN BUREAU:
PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson this week stoutly defended the integrity of People's National Party (PNP) presidential hopeful Dr. Karl Blythe.
A party vice-president, Dr. Blythe is one of four candidates vying to replace Mr. Patterson as PNP President in elections scheduled for Jamaica College in St. Andrew today.
In 2002 Dr. Blythe, then Minister of Water and Housing, became embroiled in the Operation PRIDE scandal in which it was alleged that housing contractors had received money for work not done. As Housing Minister, Dr. Blythe had portfolio responsibility for the project and came under public pressure.
On Wednesday Mr. Patterson launched his latest defence of the former minister who was forced to resign in the wake of the scandal.
NOT GUILTY
"Whether it has anything to do with Saturday (today) or not I think I owe it once again to say that the minister responsible for Water and Housing, and particularly Operation PRIDE, was guilty of no act of corruption," the outgoing Prime Minister and PNP President said. He was speaking at a handing over ceremony in which 20 land titles were presented to beneficiaries of the Hermitage Operation PRIDE housing development in Bethel Town, Westmoreland.
