PNP Candidate J. P. WHITE Resigned from contesting Nth. Trelawny Seat … Over J$17 million Tax Debt … Gen. Sec. Drafted Letter …

PNP Candidate was forced to step aside due to outstanding Tax Administration Jamaica debt. It was fast becoming an embarrassment and liability to the PNP our sources have said.

When the scandal broke the leadership of the PNP defended Candidate J.P. WHITE stating he was in talks and had an arrangement to settle same. The businessman who owed outstanding tax allegedly said
to have dwindled to J$17 million dollars has been deafeningly silent. The original sum was said to be over J$147 million. PNP campaign spokesman issued a statement to the effect. … Delano Franklyn said inter alia “A balance owing will be settled on a monthly installment scheme …” J. P. WHITE had disputed this figure of J$147 million. Suddenly the figure said owing has mysteriously “shrinked” to J$17 million dollars. Mrs. K. Reynolds co-hosted of the very popular “This Morning” radio show hinted at the sudden drop in the sum previously quoted … an evaporation of some J$130 million.

Questions are Begging …

1) Is Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) so incompetent that it overestimated/over assessed a taxpayer over J$130 million?

2) Did PNP elements along with TAJ operatives acted with complicity to corruptly “doctor” the outcome of the sudden lower tax assessment?

On a related matter … Mr. George Davis was able to get the General Secretary to admit to having assisted J.P. WHITE to resign by “drafting of a resignation letter” (for him).

My Final Question …

3) If this was not a PNP Candidate would this dramatic drop in this assessment by TAJ?

J.P. WHITE has been replaced by one Comrade Wright … a relatively unknown person.

We will continue to examine this strange development.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is the Senior International Correspondent & Photojournalist for Vision Newspaper Canada,
resident in Jamaica W.I.

Foot Note

Is this a case of “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? If this speculation is true, this would be a worrying development?. We would hate to know that a public institution can in any way be corrupted.

We have no concrete evidence that TAJ is or has been corrupted in this case … as suspicion is not guilt.