George Henry, Gleaner Writer

St. Ann:

President of the Jamaica Baptist Union, the Rev. Karl Henlin, has added his voice to the Trafigura affair which has rocked the ruling People's National Party (PNP) over recent weeks.

The Rev. Mr. Henlin said he is concerned about the difficulty with which the Jamaican people are having to hear the full truth surrounding the scandal.

He made that comment as he addressed teachers at the annual awards ceremony for retired principals and vice-principals. The function was organised by the Association of Principals and Vice-principals and held last Thursday at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

"We are concerned about the time it is taking to have the truth told about the whole affair. We are concerned to know and hopefully that it was not funds which were directed for the state - were sidetracked to any other thing," said the Jamaica Baptist Union president. The church leader said he, like many Jamaicans, would like to know the truth, but that he is still awaiting the response from PNP president and Jamaica's Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller.

Deafening silence

The JBU president said Jamaicans need to hear something from the leadership of the Government because the deafening silence is only creating a climate for growing speculation and mistrust.

He said the resignation of Information and Development Minister and the PNP General Secretary, Colin Campbell, arising out of the Trafigura debacle, needs further explanation.

Referring to the resignation of Mr. Campbell, Reverend Henlin said the country is yet to know why he resigned. "The fact that he resigned says something is happening there. There is need for the truth to be revealed so that trust can be restored," he said.

The pastor observed that the Trafigura affair is symptomatic of a lack of integrity at all levels of leadership. Jamaica, he said, is in danger of becoming a nation in which integrity is on sale, and is offered to the highest bidder.

Rev. Henlin said there is also cause for concern that in the Trafigura affair, banking records have become public knowledge. This situation, he said, has implications for Jamaica, the likes of which we have not yet imagined.

However, according to him, we should not be too quick to pass judgment as to how the banking records surrounding the Trafigura transaction got into the hands of Opposition Leader Bruce Golding, because we do not yet have all the facts.