DPP to determine GOTEL chairman’s fate

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been asked to determine whether George Neil, the chairman of telecommunications company GOTEL committed a criminal offence when he withheld information from the Contractor General.



In his report on the investigation into the award of licenses to the company, Contractor General Greg Christie also asked the DPP and the Police Commissioner to determine whether the safety of Mr. Neil and his family is in jeopardy.



The report was tabled in Parliament yesterday.



The Contractor General started his investigation into the GOTEL matter in April last year following a request from Prime Minister Bruce Golding.



Mr. Golding reportedly advised that the security forces had informed him of several concerns regarding the issuance of the cellular licenses to the company.



In April last year, GOTEL wrote to the telecommunications minister Clive Mullings claiming that the company was being extorted and manipulated.



It further claimed that there were deliberate measures to derail the company.



The complaints were made against the Spectrum Authority of Jamaica, which has the responsibility to grant telecommunications licenses and the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR).



However, in his report the contractor general said he could not definitively state that the officers of the OUR and the Spectrum Management Authority committed any acts of corruption.



He found that the former Director General at the OUR, J Paul Morgan was negligent in not advising Energy Minister Clive Mullings about an adverse trace on record for the GOTEL chairman.



Additionally the contractor general concluded that the former Regulatory Consultant to the OUR, Courtney Jackson was in a position to influence the award of licenses to GOTEL.



Mr. Jackson’s role was also a conflicting one as he was listed by GOTEL as its prospective Chief Executive Officer.



GOTEL Communications is a fixed wireless provider, supplying corporate and residential broadband telephone services.