Colin Campell's ambition

We note Colin Campbell's declared ambition to seek to return to the legislature on a ticket for the People's National Party (PNP). He is on the hunt for a constituency.

Nothing is wrong with ambition. In Mr Campbell's case, it will be a good test for the PNP's newly installed integrity commission and the fit-and-proper criteria that the party proposes for its candidates.

In 2006, Mr Campbell felt sufficiently damaged - and the PNP apparently believed he was - to resign as the PNP's general secretary over the Trafigura affair.

It was discovered then, that the Dutch commodity trader, Trafigura Beheer, which traded oil for Jamaica, had ostensibly given a "gift" of $30 million to the PNP, which was funnelled through an account controlled by Mr Campbell. The "gift" was not reported by Trafigura and was illegal in Trafigura's home country, the Netherlands.

While the PNP maintained that Trafigura represented no "hanky panky", the party seemingly felt there was sufficient sludge associated with the firm that heads had to roll. Maybe by now the muck has evaporated - of its own accord.

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