( l - r ) Paulwell, Spencer

Cuban Ambassador Gisela Garcia yesterday expressed 'concern' over the controversy surrounding the 'Jamaica-Cuban Energy-Saving Project', which is now under investigation by the Auditor General and the Contractor General.

When contacted by The Gleaner yesterday, Ms. Garcia declined to give a statement and said the embassy was still waiting on a briefing from the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications.

"I am very concerned, but as I told you I am not doing any comment until everything is organised and settled," she said.

Meeting held

In the meantime, Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller, on Wednesday, held a meeting with the former Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paulwell, and his junior minister, Kern Spencer.

In a statement released yesterday, Mrs. Simpson Miller described the matter as "unfortunate". She has ordered the men to give her a detailed report and supporting documentation on or before November 5.

Rodney Chin, who is the director of Universal Management and Development Company Ltd. and Caribbean Communication Media Network Ltd., was still tight-lipped yesterday when asked to shed light on his companies' role in the affair.

Mr. Chin and his companies are now under the spotlight following a statement by Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Clive Mullings to Parliament on Tuesday in which he said that Universal Management and Development Company Ltd. was due over $85.6 million. The minister also said that Caribbean Communication Media Network Ltd. was paid over $3.3 million for its services. 'The services for which Universal Management and Development Company Ltd. was paid were not tendered and no evidence can be found of any contract having been awarded to this company in relation to the project," Mr. Mullings said.

Checks by The Gleaner have revealed that Universal Management and Development Company Ltd. was incorporated on July 31, 2006, while Caribbean Communi-cation Media Network Ltd. was incorporated on July 20, 2006. The distribution of the compact fluorescent lamps, gifts from the Cuban Government, started in early July 2006, as part of the distribution of the four million bulbs islandwide.

To save the country $169m

Kern Spencer, the former minister of state in the ministry, told the Senate last year that the programme would save the country $169 million. However, Mr. Mullings said that the former government of the People's National Party has accrued a bill of more than $276.5 million.

While the bulbs were provided free of cost by the Cuban Govern-ment, the Jamaican Government was required to meet the cost of clearance, storage and delivery of the bulbs as well as the transportation of the Cuban and Jamaican volunteers.

Efforts by The Gleaner to contact Mr. Spencer, who had direct responsibility for the programme, proved futile.