Wheatley’s waffling unacceptable
THE EDITOR, Sir: I WATCHED with interest the debate in Parliament on Tuesday, July 3, 2018, on the question-andanswer segment involving Minister of Science and Technology Dr Andrew Wheatley.
Prior to the sitting, I had been hearing and reading in the press of allegations of corruption involving a perimeter fence costing more than $91 million; the hiring of an HR manager at $12 million per annum; the reimbursement of travel tickets to the chairman of the board, who resides overseas; and a consultancy contract for financial services, which I still do not quite understand.
In the last week, the private sector called for a forensic investigation into the allegations. I, therefore, found it unacceptable that Dr Wheatley would stand in Parliament and not provide appropriate and/or convincing answers to the questions asked, on which he had time to prepare, and fuddling responses such as “I can’t say; I don’t know” or hiding behind the expected auditor general’s report.
What was most disappointing for me was Dr Wheatley’s constant contradiction of testimony given the week before by the management of Petrojam at the sitting of the Public Appropriations and Administration Committee . If Dr Wheatley’s version of events is right, someone else is wrong, and there should be consequences for that dereliction.
I must say that the brief intervention of the leader of the Opposition was mastery in getting Dr Wheatley to admit that he was a poor superintendent of his portfolio, which has led to the crisis at the oil refinery. I remembered Dr Phillips’ singular question to then Prime Minister Bruce Golding led to the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips saga, and wondered if this is déjà vu.
Dr Wheatley failed to acquit himself, and the clouds of nepotism, cronyism, corruption and dereliction of duty continue to hang over his head. He may foolishly sense a moment of bravado having waffled his way through this round. However, he should not take comfort because as they say, “fire deh a mussmuss tale, him think a cool breeze.”
JOHN POLLACK