A senior prosecutor in Jamaica has ruled that Prime Minister Andrew Holness will not be charged with a possible conflict of interest in contracts awarded to a construction company in 2007-09 while he was education minister.
Jamaica’s director of public corruption issued the ruling on Thursday after reviewing a report on the case by the country’s Integrity Commission.
The commission investigated the case after a news story in 2016 raised questions about the close links between Holness and the principals of a company hired for several roof repairs at schools and other projects.
JAMAICA’S ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCY INQUIRIES COUNTRY’S PRIME MINISTER FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness speaks at United Nations headquarters on September 22, 2022. A senior Jamaican prosecutor ruled on February 16, 2023 that Holness would not face charges for possible conflict of interest. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, archive)
The jury found that Holness had known two directors and shareholders of the company for more than 20 years. The company had received 10 contracts totaling nearly $142,000, but only five of them were reported to the Office of the General Contractor as requested, the report said.
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Holness, who was education minister from 2007 to 2012, said he never had any influence on any procurement process. Holness became prime minister following the 2016 election.
