HOLNESS STILL HELPING TO INVESTIGATE OLINT

JLP still investigating claims it received funds from failed David Smith led ponzi scheme, Olint.

Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, JLP, Andrew Holness, says the party is still conducting internal reviews on claims that the party had received financial donations from the David Smith led-Ponzi scheme OLINT leading up to the 2007 General Elections.

　
A Confiscation Order issued by the Supreme Court in the Turks and Caicos Island in May suggested that theJLP got a donation of 5 million US dollars but the party said it would examine the claim before making any comments.

　
In June, JLP General secretary, Aundre Franklin, in statement said the Party never denied that its candidates received donations.

　
He stated that the Party cannot substantiate the amount of claims however it continued to review its financial records to ascertain whether or not OLINT funds were given directly to the JLP and the amounts.

　
Mr. Franklin had said the after a July meeting of the Party’s Central Executive a fulsome statement on the matter would have been issued.

　
Over three months later, that statement has still not been issued and when the matter was put to Mr. Holness yesterday, he stated that the reviews a re ongoing.

　
“Our investigations are ongoing. You would recognise that the persons who would have received funds are not all now candidates and in terms of records, they would have to be doing their own investigations and making their requests and the access to those records can take some time. The report that I have and i could give now is that our investigations continue.” said Holness

The People’s National Party, PNP, which was also identified as a recipient of Olint funds had acknowledged receiving funds.

A statement issued by PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill stated that internal investigation has established that the sum of1 million US dollars was received in an account on its behalf and spent in the Party’s 2007 election campaign.

David Smith was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the United States District Court in Orlando, Florida last August.

He was accused of defrauding thousands of customers of more than 220 million US dollars and was convicted after pleading guilty to 18 counts of money laundering, four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

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