6 months ago
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The young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party, G2K, is calling on the police to provide an update on the recommendation that a criminal probe be launched into the conduct of PNP vice president, Ian Hayles.
The referral was made in January last year by the Office of the Contractor General by way of the Integrity Commission.
Mahiri Stewart reports.
Ian Hayles is a former member of parliament for West Hanover. The criminal referral against him stems from allegations of forgery and conspiracy to defraud.
The then-Office of the Contractor General had also asked the police to determine whether Hayles had breached the Corruption Prevention Act.
The allegations are contained in a report tabled in Parliament in January 2023.
The OCG report had originally been submitted for tabling in February of 2017.
But it was blocked after Hayles obtained a court injunction barring Parliament from releasing the findings contained in the document.
That injunction was lifted in December 2022, thereby clearly paving the way for the report’s tabling in Parliament.
Since the referral was tabled, no action has been taken by the police with respect to the referral from the anti-corruption watchdog.
G2K wants answers.
The JLP’s young professional affiliate says it is only right that members of the public be updated on what they’re describing as a matter of public interest.
Initial investigations into the matter began as far back as April 2015.
Hayles has maintained that he did nothing wrong. He has maintained that the OCG’s report exonerated him.
He has also accused the former contractor general of malice.
Ian Hayles is a member of Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s Shadow Cabinet. He has responsibility for shadowing the water portfolio.
He’s also the PNP’s current caretaker for Western Westmoreland.
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