Trafigura ghost still haunts People's National Party (PNP) - Investigators from Netherlands probing the $31 million will be back
published:
Friday | February 22, 2008
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
( L - R ) Simpson Miller, Pickersgill, Campbell
The Trafigura scandal might be dead but it is far from buried and its ghost is continuing to haunt the Opposition People's National Party (PNP).
The Gleaner has confirmed that investigators from the Netherlands who are probing the $31-million donation to the PNP by the Dutch oil trader Trafigura Beheer, are headed back to Jamaica.
The investigators visited the island last month but left without questioning any member of the PNP.
This time around, it appears that senior members of the PNP will be questioned.
Investigators to arrive
Gleaner sources said the investigators will arrive in Jamaica on March 3 and spend March 4 and 5 interviewing PNP officials.
The sources said PNP President Portia Simpson Miller, party chairman Robert Pickersgill and former General Secretary Colin Campbell are among those to be questioned.
According to the sources, lawyers representing the PNP officials have already indicated that they will be taking their clients to meet the investigators.
Yesterday, senior members of the PNP refused to confirm or deny the reports.
One senior party officer said: "I've heard the same report but it has not yet been confirmed."
In January, the Dutch team met with Prime Minister Bruce Golding, but left after the PNP officials expressed concern about meeting with overseas investigators.
Last year, the Dutch authorities started a criminal investigation involving Trafigura, arguing that it could be guilty of having bribed public officials in Jamaica.
Bribery is punishable under Dutch law and the National Public Prosecutor's Office of The Netherlands is pursuing the investigation.
In announcing details of the Dutch probe, Prime Minister Golding said the investigators had expressed an interest in interviewing persons who were involved in the transaction.
He has been interviewed by the investigators as the person who brought the matter to public attention.
The Dutch authorities had initially indicated an interest in visiting Jamaica last year to conduct a probe into the money lodged to an account held by Campbell, but that request was denied by the then PNP government.
According to the then administration, the Dutch request was rejected on the grounds that it did not fall under the necessary legislative arrangements.
But shortly after taking office, Golding piloted the necessary legislative changes to ensure that the Dutch authorities would be able to visit the island to conduct the probe.
The PNP has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case, even though it reportedly returned the money.
Campbell also resigned as the PNP's general secretary in the wake of the controversy.
