Thu | Mar 28, 2024

Creary: I never interviewed Grindley

Published:Friday | July 3, 2020 | 12:32 AM
Richard Creary
Richard Creary

Former Petrojam board member Richard Creary has ripped the recently released Integrity Commission report on Petrojam that detailed damning malpractice and corruption at the state-owned oil refinery.

The report said that Creary was part of the panel that interviewed Floyd Grindley for the general manager position. Grindley has been cited for numerous breaches at the entity.

But Creary, who is also the mayor of Port Maria, said he was not part of the interview panel nor was he appointed to the Petrojam board to enable corruption.

Creary said, while he was invited to the interview, he indicated that he had other commitments and could not attend.

“Let me state categorically that I was NOT present at the interview, and I challenge the commission or anyone else to provide evidence to the contrary,” Creary said in a statement.

Creary said that he did not meet Grindley until he commenced his employment as general manager.

“I replied to written questions as well as willingly attended an interview at the Integrity Commission, and at no time was I asked if I had interviewed Mr Grindley!” Creary insisted.

Creary also lambasted the notion that board appointments of associates were untoward, arguing that that was the near-absolute standard across political administrations.

“This is also true of the private sector, which often results in persons holding directorships in multiple companies,” Creary said.

He also defended his integrity as a public figure.

“Over the years, my service has expanded to include appointments to state boards, and in my entire life, my name has never been linked to corruption in any capacity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Phillip Paulwell, the former energy minister who has also been mentioned in the report, has pushed back against suggestions that he might have been involved in corruption.

In a Facebook video posted to his personal page, Paulwell said that he wiped his hands cleans after he requested the $6 million from Petrojam as charity money for Camperdown High School, located in his constituency.

“I want to reject any hint of impropriety in this matter. I am very concerned about what has happened with Petrojam, and I believe those processes must be concluded and the chips fall where they may,” he said.

“But in relation to Camperdown High School, I am very confident that everything has been done above board.”