Bank employee identified in Trafigura leak
A female employee of FirstCaribbean International Bank has been identified as the person who breached the bank’s protocol and leaked copies of cheques drawn on a PNP campaign finance account to the JLP, according to a political source close to the controversy now rocking the Government.
“I understand also that she has some very interesting links to the Jamaica Labour Party,” added the source, who requested anonymity.
All day yesterday, top executives of the bank, some of whom it was said flew in from overseas to do damage control, were locked in a meeting discussing the matter. Calls to the bank’s regional head office in Barbados were directed to the Kingston office, and messages left for the bank’s local CEO, Milton Brady, were not returned.
Yesterday, PNP general-secretary Colin Campbell, who is a signatory on the account and to whom one of the cheques is drawn, said that he had been in contact with the bank, and that he was satisfied that the bank was taking the matter “very seriously”.
“Mr Brady and I have spoken, and he has said that they have identified the person responsible for the leak, and have taken action,” Campbell told the Observer.
Still, Campbell did not rule out taking legal action against the bank, but was guarded in his comments.
“There is a meeting set between my lawyers and their lawyers, so after that we will see what comes out of this,” said Campbell.
He said he did not know whether or not the party would continue to use that account, or the services of FirstCaribbean, pointing instead to Norton Hinds, the other signatory on the account.
“He is the chairman of the CCOC, so that decision would have to be made by him,” Campbell said.
At the same time, Campbell, who is also the information minister, categorically denied that the Government had moved all its accounts from FirstCaribbean in retaliation.
“The Government has not moved any accounts. That is just not true,” Campbell said.
Meanwhile yesterday, while on a tour of the St Catherine West Central constituency represented by JLP chairman Kenneth Baugh, Opposition Leader Bruce Golding, who relied heavily on the leaked documents to levy allegations against the governing party, said it was a pity that the employee who provided the information was to be punished by the bank.
“It is a pity. Evidently, they have found a scapegoat, and that is really unfortunate,” Golding said.
Asked to confirm or deny a rumour that the damaging information was actually given to the JLP at the behest of some members of the PNP who are opposed to the prime minister, Golding would only say, “A won’t say yes, and a won’t say no.”