Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness will not face corruption charges in conflict of interest case
The commission investigated the case after a news report in 2016 raised questions about close ties between Holness and principals of a company hired for several roof repairs at schools and other projects.
Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness speaks at the U.N. headquarters on Sept. 22, 2022. A top prosecutor in Jamaica ruled on Feb. 16, 2023, that Holness will not face charges over possible conflict of interest. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)
The panel found that Holness knew two directors and shareholders of the company for more than 20 years. The company had received 10 contracts totaling nearly $142,000, but only five of them were reported to the Office of the Contractor General as required, the report said.
Holness, education minister from 2007 to 2012, said he never exercised influence on any process for the awarding of the contracts. Holness became prime minister following 2016 elections.