Christie

Contractor General Greg Christie says his office is working assiduously to complete its probe into the contro-versial Cuban light-bulb project.

Mr. Christie told The Gleaner that once his investigation was complete, he would submit a report to head of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), Ruth Potopsingh, and to Minister of Mining, Energy and Telecommunications, Clive Mullings.

He said this was in keeping with Section 20 (1) of the Contractor General's Act. Further, the Contractor General said that Section 28 (2) of the act provides discretionary powers for him to report to Parliament the findings of his investigation.

Mr. Christie said that he would exercise that discretion as he had done on previous investigations.

He said a copy of his report would be sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Delroy Chuck, and President of the Senate, Oswald Harding, who were obliged to table the report "as soon as possible".

He said that, after the tabling of the report in Parliament, his office would also place its findings on its website.

Persons interviewed

Mr. Christie refused to divulge information on the status of the investigation, but The Gleaner has been reliably informed that several persons have been interviewed, including Mr. Mullings; former minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paulwell, and his former state minister, Kern Spencer.

Former chairman of the PCJ, Dr. John Cook; Ruth Potopsingh and Permanent Secretary Jean Dixon have also been interviewed.

Mr. Mullings had disclosed in Parliament that the distribution of free Cuban light bulbs had cost the Government more than $276 million.

The Fraud Squad, Director of Public Prosecutions and the Auditor General have also been asked to investigate the project.