KINGSTON, Jamaica — Director of communications in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Robert Nesta Morgan yesterday disclosed that the funds used for the surprise birthday party that was hosted for Dr Andrew Wheatley, former energy minister, have been repaid to PetroJam.

The revelation about the surprise birthday party was contained in a comprehensive audit of Petrojam and its parent company, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), tabled in Parliament on December 4, 2018. The audit had been commissioned following the public concerns regarding mismanagement at the State-owned entity.

The report revealed that former general manager Floyd Grindley approved payments for invoices totalling $2.6 million in relation to two parties — one for board chairman Dr Perceval Badaho-Singh and the other for then Energy Minister Wheatley — which were of “a personal and private nature”.

Wheatley’s party amounted to $1.5 million, which included a cost of US$2,427 for food and beverage and US$1,000 for a four-tiered topsy turvy chocolate cake.

Morgan made the revelation that the sum has been repaid when he took to Twitter yesterday to respond to public concerns about Wheatley’s assignment by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to complete tasks “in support of the development of broad policy”.

A statement from OPM outlined that three backbenchers, which includes Wheatley, have been tasked with examining “…how to integrate persons will disabilities and in State care and how to improve their prospects for employment”.

“This is an area that has not had much attention. It is important that the party and the parliament has a deeper understanding of how this can be done.“Those assigned will not be using any government resources to do these tasks nor will they have charge of any staff. These tasks are to be executed in their capacity as private members of the House of Representatives. There is no appointment or formal committee,” the statement continued.

OPM further stated that the assigned MPs will also be expected to assist in building awareness within the party, nationally and also champion the cause in the Parliament as private members.

Kimone Edwards