'Whitewash?' - Portia questions Manatt report
Published:Wednesday | June 15, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
ANGERED BY the findings of the Emil George-chaired Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry, Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller yesterday suggested that the contents of the 58-page document tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday could be interpreted as a "travesty, whitewash and cover-up".
Making the declaration during the prime minister's question time in Gordon House, Simpson Miller argued strongly that Parliament should debate the Manatt report.
Responding to Simpson Miller's claim that the report was a cover-up, Prime Minister Bruce Golding noted that one of the three commissioners was an adviser to the opposition leader.
Declaring that he was not running to the defence of the commissioners, Golding told his colleague lawmakers that the three were persons of impeccable integrity.
"For the suggestion to be made that the report contains a whitewash would be indicting, for example, in that whitewash the person who up to the time I took office was special adviser to the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller."
Anthony Irons, an industrial relations specialist, was an adviser to Simpson Miller. The other commissioner was Donald Scharschmidt.
Hitting back at Golding, the opposition leader rose on a point of order, contending that it was the prime minister who appointed two lawyers and the industrial relations specialist.
"The opinion of the entire country was that for most of the enquiry, he (Irons) was ignored," she said.
Commenting on the request by Simpson Miller for Parliament to debate the Manatt report, the prime minister said there would be various opportunities for the House to discuss the findings.
He said the report could be submitted to a committee for detailed examination and it could be the subject of a motion introduced by an opposition MP.