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Nationwide News understands that at least two anti-corruption agencies are investigating whether public money from the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, KSAMC, was used to finance the political campaign activities of some of its representatives, including constituency caretakers.
This investigations appear to be a consequence of the fallout between the People’s National Party, PNP, and its former caretaker of Central Kingston, Lawrence Rowe.
Nationwide News has seen and heard conversations involving Rowe, PNP general secretary, Dr. Dayton Campbell, and an employee of the KSAMC.
The conversations raise serious questions about whether the PNP controlled KSAMC is using the tax dollars of Jamaicans to shore up support for political representatives in its bid to help the PNP retake control of central government.
Nationwide News has made several attempts over the last three days to provide Dr. Campbell, Lawrence Rowe and the KSAMC employee opportunities to respond to the allegations.
George Davis has this Nationwide News exclusive.
Nationwide News has seen a record of the conversations between Lawrence Rowe and PNP general secretary, Dr. Dayton Campbell.
One particular conversation happened on December 22, 2024 and began at 7:06pm.
Rowe, who at the time was the PNP’s caretaker in Central Kingston wrote to Dr. Campbell, “I am beginning to wonder if there is any sincerity towards winning this seat by KSAMC. Let me tell you why.”
Rowe then explained to his general secretary that Christmas work was done in downtown, Kingston and he was only able to recommend two names to be engaged. Rowe complained that PNP caretakers in west Kingston and other areas were treated better.
Rowe then complained that for the Christmas, the KSAMC sent him only $300,000, while the PNP leadership in North West St. Andrew, received over $500,000.
Rowe also lamented to Dayton Campbell that a senior official at the KSAMC, who is also a prominent member of the PNP was in Central Kingston, giving money to some comrades without notifying him.
The PNP controls the KSAMC.
Dr. Campbell responded, telling Rowe that the monies were allocated strategically in light of the PNP’s preparation for two local by-elections.
Dr. Campbell then sought to reassure Lawrence Rowe that the PNP does take seriously, the job of winning Central Kingston in the next general election.
Nationwide News understands that at least two anti-corruption agencies are probing the alleged use of monies for political purposes by the KSAMC leadership, with the knowledge of the PNP Secretariat.
It’s understood that the probe is partly based on claims that several PNP representatives were contacted and told to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars from the KSAMC, to use however they deem fit
Our news centre has also seen a conversation between Rowe and an officer at the KSAMC, Audrey Smith Facey. Smith Facey served as PNP councillor for the Payne Land division in South West St. Andrew for 23 years.
She currently serves on the administrative support team of Kingston’s mayor and chairman of the KSAMC, Andrew Swaby.
Her conversation with Rowe seems to support Rowe’s complaint to Dr. Campbell that he was given $300,000 cash by the KSAMC.
On December 17, 2024 at 7:16pm, Smith Facey wrote to Rowe, “300k, you determine what it is to be used for”.
Rowe responded “respect”.
And before closing out that part of the conversation, Smith Facey, told the then PNP Central Kingston constituency caretaker, “Note well – this is NOT for public knowledge”.
Meanwhile, our news centre has been making several attempts to get an on-the-record response from the people involved for inclusion into our report.
Mahiri Stewart has the details of our extensive efforts to get a comment from the leadership of the PNP.
We called Dr. Dayton Campbell’s mobile phone seven times between Tuesday and Wednesday, to afford him the opportunity to respond to the matter.
He was called five times between 2 pm and 5 pm on Tuesday, January 28. On the fifth occasion he answered the phone but refused to give us a response on the record.
We attempted to contact him a further three times, Wednesday January 29. Those calls were placed between 2 pm and 3:30 pm.
All three calls went to voicemail.
On Wednesday evening Dr. Campbell called our deputy executive editor, George Davis, and spoke with him for 39 minutes.
He was asked repeatedly to provide an ‘on the record’ response to the issues raised for inclusion in the report.
Dr. Campbell steadfastly refused, saying he would no longer be commenting publicly on any matter concerning Lawrence Rowe.
At the end of the conversation, which began at 5:22 pm, he again refused to entertain a request for an official comment, on the record about the issues, despite being on the phone for 39 minutes.
We cannot report any of what he said during the conversation because he was adamant that he was off-the-record. His discussion with Davis was the second off-the-record conversation with our newscentre.
On Tuesday, January 28, he spoke with Ricardo Brooks for six-minutes-thirty-seconds. He also refused our request then to go on the record.
Kingston’s mayor, Andrew Swaby, was called seven times between Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Four calls were placed to his mobile phone on Tuesday, between 2 pm and 5 pm. Another three calls were placed to his mobile phone on Wednesday, between 2 pm and 3:30 pm.
All calls went to voicemail.
Councillor Facey was contacted eleven times between Tuesday and Thursday. None of the calls were answered.
Messages were left with both Facey and Mayor Swaby asking for a return call in relation to the story being pursued.
We also attempted to contact Lawrence Rowe by telephone, multiple times over the past three days. His phone did not even ring.
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