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Dutch Trafigura investigators to arrive anytime now
By Durrant Pate
Senior Staff Reporter
Dutch investigators could be arriving in the island as early as this week to start investigations into the Trafigura affair, which has rocked the People’s National Party (PNP) government since last year.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has given the green light to a renewed request by the National Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for Mutual Legal Assistance under the Mutual Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act.
The Sunday Herald has been reliably informed that the request was granted three weeks ago and Dutch investigators are now on their way to Jamaica to interview a number of high-ranking members of the former PNP government.
The Mutual Legal Assistance has been granted by the three-month old Bruce Golding-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government in the case being pursued by the Dutch Government against Dutch oil trading company, Trafigura Baheer, which had a multi-million dollar contract with Jamaica to lift and market oil from Nigeria on behalf of the Jamaican Government.
The authorities in the Netherlands, who started a criminal investigation against Trafigura Beheer in January of this year, believe the oil trader was guilty of bribing public officials in Jamaica when it made a $31 million payment to the then PNP government in August and July of last year. The transaction was made through an account, CCOC, which was linked to former PNP general secretary and Information Minister, Colin Campbell, who resigned in the wake of the scandal that developed over the payment or donation.
Acting Solicitor General, Patrick Foster, confirmed that the Dutch had renewed its request for Mutual Legal Assistance, which had been initially turned down earlier this year by the Portia Simpson Miller administration. Foster said the investigators would shortly be on their way.
He did not disclose any details of the request, which came through his office, as well as which Jamaicans officials the Dutch authorities were interested in interviewing as part of their criminal investigations back in the Netherlands.
However, it is understood that the former PNP general secretary, in whose account the payment or donation was received, is the primary person the Dutch investigators want to interview.
The Sunday Herald was informed that officials from the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), which contracted Trafigura to lift and market the oil, and Phillip Paulwell, who had portfolio responsibility for the PCJ, were also on the list of persons the Dutch investigators were interested in interviewing.
However, information received suggested that some of the parties which the Dutch investigators were interested in interviewing, might not make themselves available. Already some have reportedly contacted their attorneys for advice on whether to make themselves available.
The Bruce Golding government had to draft new legislation under Section 32(2) of the Mutual Assistance Act, to designate the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a foreign state to which the provisions of the Mutual Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act applies. The move enabled the DPP’s office, which is the Central Authority in the Act, to consider the request by the Dutch authorities to visit Jamaica to conduct investigations into the Trafigura matter.
In the meantime, the Jamaican police are reporting that their investigation into the Trafigura affair is at a standstill. Sources at the Police Fraud Squad said they had been denied access to a number of crucial documents and information. The detectives said they “have not gotten the full co-operation from Mr. Campbell, regarding details of his COCC account.”
In addition, a request made earlier this year to then Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, for his intervention in accessing details of the account, reportedly proved fruitless, as no permission was given. The denial was based on the convention that individuals’ banking accounts and the details therein, were supposed to remain personal and confidential.
By Durrant Pate
Senior Staff Reporter
Dutch investigators could be arriving in the island as early as this week to start investigations into the Trafigura affair, which has rocked the People’s National Party (PNP) government since last year.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has given the green light to a renewed request by the National Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for Mutual Legal Assistance under the Mutual Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act.
The Sunday Herald has been reliably informed that the request was granted three weeks ago and Dutch investigators are now on their way to Jamaica to interview a number of high-ranking members of the former PNP government.
The Mutual Legal Assistance has been granted by the three-month old Bruce Golding-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government in the case being pursued by the Dutch Government against Dutch oil trading company, Trafigura Baheer, which had a multi-million dollar contract with Jamaica to lift and market oil from Nigeria on behalf of the Jamaican Government.
The authorities in the Netherlands, who started a criminal investigation against Trafigura Beheer in January of this year, believe the oil trader was guilty of bribing public officials in Jamaica when it made a $31 million payment to the then PNP government in August and July of last year. The transaction was made through an account, CCOC, which was linked to former PNP general secretary and Information Minister, Colin Campbell, who resigned in the wake of the scandal that developed over the payment or donation.
Acting Solicitor General, Patrick Foster, confirmed that the Dutch had renewed its request for Mutual Legal Assistance, which had been initially turned down earlier this year by the Portia Simpson Miller administration. Foster said the investigators would shortly be on their way.
He did not disclose any details of the request, which came through his office, as well as which Jamaicans officials the Dutch authorities were interested in interviewing as part of their criminal investigations back in the Netherlands.
However, it is understood that the former PNP general secretary, in whose account the payment or donation was received, is the primary person the Dutch investigators want to interview.
The Sunday Herald was informed that officials from the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), which contracted Trafigura to lift and market the oil, and Phillip Paulwell, who had portfolio responsibility for the PCJ, were also on the list of persons the Dutch investigators were interested in interviewing.
However, information received suggested that some of the parties which the Dutch investigators were interested in interviewing, might not make themselves available. Already some have reportedly contacted their attorneys for advice on whether to make themselves available.
The Bruce Golding government had to draft new legislation under Section 32(2) of the Mutual Assistance Act, to designate the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a foreign state to which the provisions of the Mutual Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act applies. The move enabled the DPP’s office, which is the Central Authority in the Act, to consider the request by the Dutch authorities to visit Jamaica to conduct investigations into the Trafigura matter.
In the meantime, the Jamaican police are reporting that their investigation into the Trafigura affair is at a standstill. Sources at the Police Fraud Squad said they had been denied access to a number of crucial documents and information. The detectives said they “have not gotten the full co-operation from Mr. Campbell, regarding details of his COCC account.”
In addition, a request made earlier this year to then Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, for his intervention in accessing details of the account, reportedly proved fruitless, as no permission was given. The denial was based on the convention that individuals’ banking accounts and the details therein, were supposed to remain personal and confidential.
