Dionne Rose & Earl Moxam, Gleaner Writers
(left) Golding: this company was
integrally involved in negotiations with the Government of Jamaica.
(right)Patterson: I don't know what was the contractual arrangement but at no time was GoodWorks involved.
THE JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) yesterday expressed concern about the appointment of former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson as a senior
adviser to the United States consultancy firm, GoodWorks International.
The Gleaner revealed on Monday that Mr. Patterson was to join GoodWorks this week, one month after demitting office. But yesterday Opposition Leader Bruce Golding said the former Prime Minister's new appointment was questionable.
"Our information is that this company was integrally involved in the negotiations with the Government of Jamaica, which resulted in the sale of the (Jamaica) Public Service Company to Mirant," he said.
Mr. Golding claimed Mirant, which currently owns 80 per cent shares of the JPS, was among the top three clients of GoodWorks.
Audley Shaw, Opposition Spokesman on Finance, also said he was unconvinced by Mr. Patterson's statement in The Gleaner this week that, as a senior adviser at GoodWorks International, he would not engage in negotiations with the Jamaican Government.
But in an immediate response to the JLP's concerns yesterday, Mr. Patterson told The Gleaner that the Opposition members' comments were "ridiculous".
"I don't know what was the contractual arrangement between Mirant and GoodWorks (during those negotiations) but at no time was GoodWorks involved in the negotiations with the Government of Jamaica," he said.
Mr. Patterson reiterated that, in his association with Goodworks, he would not be involved in any business activities relating to Jamaica.
Meanwhile Carl Masters, president and chief executive officer of GoodWorks International, has
described the Opposition's position as
"disappointing".
He told The Gleaner yesterday he would be considering legal action against Mr. Golding.
SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS
"I am a bit disappointed that a senior member of the House of Representatives would be making slanderous statements on the basis of a relationship that we have with an international company at the time being called Southern Electric," Mr. Masters said.
"For the record, GoodWorks International has never represented Mirant Southern Electric or any other energy company to the Government and people of Jamaica," he added.
"If Mr. Golding does not retract it, I will sue him! If people want to make difficult points, so be it, but you cannot impugn the reputation of a company and of its people," he said.
Ambassador Andrew Young, chairman of GoodWorks, lamented that as a black firm, the company constantly has to be fighting such suggestions.
"To have somebody pop off and make that sort of statement really requires us to take some action," Ambassador Young said. "We are in business and we have been in business successfully for 10 years and business depends on a reputation of integrity."
