I do.
These two words were used by female political activist Jenny Simon in response to a question on the Ridealong programme hosted by Junior George on Wednesday when asked if she had documents to substantiate her claim that MIT Minister Andy Williams collected a bribe of EC$115, 000 from a Contractor for the Woburn/Cliff road project.
Simon made the statement as she challenged Government Advisor in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Rodney George who appeared as a guest on the programme and denied that Minister Williams was ever involved in the process leading up to the award of the road project to CCCCI, owned and operated by businessman Nelson Louison.
George maintained throughout the programme that this could never have happened due to the rigorous processes involved in awarding contracts including the one for Louison.
He described as ridiculous the allegation from Simon that the senior government minister and Member of Parliament for South St George Minister Williams took a bribe in order to ensure that CCCCI got the EC$16 million contract.
Simon brushed him aside and often repeated on the programme that “Andy Williams took a bribe for the Cliff project from Mr Nelson Louison.”
The female political activist insisted that she wanted Minister Williams to sue her for the statement.
“I will not just get up and say that somebody took a bribe, especially a minister in a project,” she quipped.
The programme host Junior George repeatedly asked Simon to provide documentary evidence about the alleged bribe but she often side-stepped the question.
There was also an exchange of words between Simon and George on statements being made that the minister signed for Louison to get the contract and in some quarters that he “signed off” on the contract for the Concord, St John businessman.
According to Simon, what she has been saying is that the Minister “signed off” on the contract and not signing for Louison to get the Contract.
“The minister didn’t sign off on anything,” George blurted out, adding that “Andy Wiilliams had nothing to do with this contract.
Simon sought to give clarity to the allegation by asserting that Williams did the act when the Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell was out of the island and the MIT Minister was acting as Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure Development.
There has been no word from Louison to clear the air on the allegation that he committed a criminal offense by bribing a minister for a contract.
THE NEW TODAY understands that Minister Williams is seeking legal advice on filing a lawsuit against Simon for defamation.
He is insisting that the only financial engagement he had with Louison in the past two years is related to the sale of a private property in Mt. Parnassus in St George North-east.
The minister is reported as saying that he wanted EC$650, 000.00 for the house and someone came to him with an offer of EC$600, 000.00 which he accepted.
The source pointed out that the minister only knew that Louison was behind the purchase when he received the cheque and saw his name on it.
He spoke of meeting Louison in person sometime after the sale and told him that he had no idea that he was the real purchaser of the property.
