Apologise! - Seaton takes issue with Christie
Published:Monday | June 27, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Patrina Pink, Gleaner Writer
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR YP Seaton & Associates has accused the contractor general of defaming the good name of the company and its principal, Y.P. Seaton.
In a strongly worded press statement dated Friday, June 24, Seaton & Associates said the Greg Christie-led Office of the Contractor General (OCG) had "severely impugned and tarnished" the character of the company and its chairman, Y.P. Seaton.
"As a protected statutory creature, he owes a very high duty of care to the public in the discharge of his duties. Cavalier, ill-conceived, intemperate and unfortunate remarks by the OCG such as those in this case not only do great damage to persons such as Mr Seaton and the company, but undermine the credibility of the OCG," the statement said.
"Simply, the OCG ought to apologise to both Mr Seaton and the company," it added.
The OCG last week said if Seaton had paid the prime minister's airfare to Paraguay, as reported in the media, "and there is credible evidence to support the veracity of the allegation, then the matter, in the OCG's considered view, should be directed to the Commissioner of Police and/or the Director of Prosecutions, and not the OCG".
But YP Seaton and Associates said the release by the OCG contains "a series of hearsay statements, opinion, conjecture and selected facts skillfully juxtaposed and intertwined which creates the very clear impression and innuendo that the company and Mr Seaton were engaged in unethical, corrupt and criminal conduct in consort with the prime minister".
The opposition People's National Party called on the OCG to investigate the appropriateness of a trip made by Golding, his son, Steven, Seaton, and others to Paraguay for a bird-shooting expedition.
Minister with responsibility for information Daryl Vaz later produced a copy of the Bank of Nova Scotia cheque which suggests that Golding reimbursed Seaton the $730,000 he had advanced.
Not Christie's business
YP Seaton & Associates has argued that Christie had no business commenting in the manner he did. They pointed to the four-decade-long relationship between Golding and Seaton, the fact that Golding had been participating in the trip for decades, and that the company had successfully won bids for government contracts for over three decades.
"The facts controvert the baseless assertions and innuendo of the OCG. However, it is well known that in Jamaica, perception forms reality, and, therefore, the reputational damage has been done."
YP Seaton and Associates received 35 government contracts in the sum of $2.7 billion between May 2001 and November 2010. Of that number, 17 contracts valued at $2.3 billion were awarded since October 2007, when Golding's Jamaica Labour Party took over the reins of government.