OCG widens probe into parish council contracts

The Office of the Contractor General, OCG, has widened its probe into the contracts offered by the island's parish councils.

The move comes on the heels of  Monday’s reported fraud which was uncovered into contracts at the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, (KSAC), valued at more than 80 million dollars.

Contractor General, Greg Christie, is also further probing the contractor who has  implicated three KSAC councillors in the fraudulent award of Government contracts. 

Christie to review NCC files

A day after Greg Christie blew the covers on a contractor who admitted  she was fake and implicated three councillors, he says he will now review the National Contracts Commission, (NCC) files of all works contractors who have received contracts from the island's parish councils since 2006. 

The OCG says the decision is to determine whether any of the  contractors are fake. He also wants to know whether, and to what extent such contractors may have had illicit links with parish councillors or other public officers or officials.

Audits of parish councils are currently taking place, and the OCG says the examination will aid its probe.

Investigation deepens

 Meanwhile as the OCG deepens its investigation of the contractor who was implicated , it has unearthed more concerns.

Greg Christie says after conducting further cross-referencing of the 114 contracts which were awarded to the implicated contractor, he has found that she was also registered with the NCC. The unnamed female was registered as a "Goods and Services" contractor.

She was awarded contracts not only by the KSAC, but by five other public bodies. The OCG has also reduced the figure which it reported in its investigation of the alleged fraud .A figure of just over 98 million dollars was quoted. 

On Tuesday, the OCG said of the 114  contracts, 104 valued at just over 83 million dollars were awarded to the fake contractor by the KSAC.

The remaining contracts were awarded to the same contractor by the other five public bodies- namely the Ministry of Education, National Water Commission, Ministry of Education and Youth and the Social Development Fund.

The OCG says it has sent its findings to the police and will be working closely with investigators.