2 months ago
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Director general of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, MOCA, Colonel Desmond Edwards, has confirmed that the anti-corruption body is urgently assessing the allegations of misuse of public funds at the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, KSAMC.
Edwards says the agency has received informal information related to the alleged corruption saga. He says it was reviewing the available information, in keeping with the agency’s standard process.
The MOCA head confirmed that the matter was being treated with urgency, given the high level of public interest.
The alleged misuse of funds at the KSAMC was first reported by Nationwide News on January 29.
It follows the disclosure of WhatsApp messages and voice notes between then People’s National Party, PNP, caretaker for Central Kingston, Lawrence Rowe and the party’s general secretary, Dr. Dayton Campbell.
In one particular message, Rowe questions the sincerity of the KSAMC to winning Central Kingston for the PNP. He laments that other PNP representatives were offered more money than he was.
The PNP general secretary responded that the money was distributed strategically, as there were by-elections in other divisions.
In another leaked message, a member of the mayor’s administrative team tells Lawrence Rowe he may collect $300,000, but said the matter was not for public knowledge.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are alleged to have been distributed in select divisions to shore up the chances of political representatives.
Dr. Campbell has denied any wrongdoing.
Dayton Campbell, PNP general secretary.
The Jamaica Labour Party has called for PNP Dr. Dayton Campbell to be stripped of his public roles, while the PNP has accused the governing party of engaging in a reckless smear campaign.
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