Hurricane Dean relief programme under probe
LABOUR and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles says investigations have started into the distribution of Hurricane Dean relief funds in South St James, represented by his predecessor, the People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) Derrick Kellier, prior to the general election.
Charles told the House of Representatives yesterday that of the $20 million allocated in the relief programme, which was done prior to the change of government on September 3, 2007 in constituencies in all 14 parishes, Kellier’s South St James got nearly 25 per cent, while several constituencies got none.
With just under $6 million spent in the parish of St James, Kellier’s constituency got $4.3 million from the relief fund co-ordinated by the labour ministry. The other three constituencies in St James, which are all represented by JLP MPs, got approximately $400,000. Current Minister of Energy, Mining and Technology Clive Mullings’ West Central St James got none.
Kellier had also donated $1.2 million of his Social and Economic Support (SESP) fund to the relief effort, boosting it to $5.5 million.
Charles was responding to questions posed by the Jamaica Labour Party’s North West St Ann MP, Othneil Lawrence.
Lawrence said he was concerned about methods used to allocate the grants and questioned whether Kellier, who beat the JLP’s Noel Donaldson by approximately 200 votes in a closely fought race for the seat, had used the public funds to win political support.