Ah! The world of politics. Last week while we were busy focusing on the fallout from Mark Foley’s e-mail scandal, Jamaica was involved in its own political mess. This involved a J$31-million contribution to the People's National Party from Trafigura Beheer, a private company marketing oil (originally purchased from Nigeria by Jamaica) on behalf of the government of Jamaica. The incident escalated into massive allegations, denials, accusations, and ultimately the resignation of Colin Campbell, from the Jamaican senate, Cabinet and as general secretary of the PNP.

However, the matter needs careful analysis before we allow party political preferences to cloud both common sense and sound judgment.

With countries like Jamaica and other Caribbean countries lacking proper political financing regulations, as is present in Britain and the United States, questionable political funding will continue to come in from various sources.

This is not the first time that there has been controversy surrounding financial contributions being made to political parties in Jamaica. Both major parties have been accused in the past of accepting funds from dubious sources, some with criminal implications, both nationally and internationally.

Now, we are not for a moment saying that this justifies the PNP taking money from a foreign company, doing business with the same government that the PNP administers. However, with elections looming, the opposition Jamaica Labour Party is capitalizing on what should be considered a wake up call for reforming campaign financing. These reforms are critical for more reasons than one, as oftentimes, what seem to be political contributions are not unconditional “gifts”. Rather they are political investments since contributors use them as influential leverage with politicians for personal benefits.

Consequently, we can understand the public perception of a foreign company currently doing business with the government, making such a large contribution to a political party that forms the government, which is likely to retain power in the upcoming elections.  Although the contribution by Trafigura is not illegal, it appears to be what a columnist in Jamaica termed as, a “Kick-Forward”, implying that Trafigura is positioning itself to get special concessions from a future PNP government. However, Trafigura has been quick to deny that their contribution was a gift to the PNP, but interpret it as part of a “commercial agreement.” Apparently, Trafigura feared charges of breaching regulations set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Convention once the news broke. If the contribution was denoted as a gift, they could face serious consequences for bribery of foreign public officials.

The leaking of the information is another, very critical, side to the current controversy, as it relates to the matter of privacy and confidentiality of the Jamaican banking sector. Reports are that it was a senior female executive at First Caribbean International Bank (FCIB) who leaked confidential information to the JLP about the Trafigura deposit into a PNP account (CCOC & Associates). Bruce Golding, who could possibly be Jamaica’s next prime minister, ignoring that the document was obtained illegally, chose to use it to his party’s advantage. Yet, many commentators caught up in the excitement of the PNP scandal fail to address this fraudulent act, which could have serious implications for the Jamaican banking sector.

It’s amazing how in Jamaica everything seems to leak to various elements of the society. Journalists writing on the Trafigura matter had information as to whom attended meetings to negotiate the contribution in New York; information on amounts drawn from the FCIB account, by whom, and to whom checks were paid. Others had information of who were present at a high-power PNP meeting to discuss the scandal, and what was concluded. Although it is the prerogative of a good journalist to seek news from whatever source; some confidentiality should be exercised by those entrusted to maintain confidential information. There are proper channels through which to obtain such information but it seems like there is no confidentiality in Jamaica.

Although we are not condoning the source of the contribution, or the way it was handled, the leak(s) from FCIB should not have happened, and especially not taking place in apparent support of, and used by, a political party that has been claiming moral self-righteousness over recent months.

Through the action of the FCIB executive, now the Jamaican banking sector which seemed to have been above the tentacles of corruption, is now a part of it, and so is the JLP, the PNP, and by extension the government.

A senior member of the JLP has defended the leak from FCIB as being “in the national interest,” but how does one interpret what is in the “national interest”? Sure, the JLP will defend the leak as it was in the party’s interest, but was this really the national interest? Did the leak by FCIB, for example, expose Jamaica to invasion by a foreign government, or was it the intent of an overzealous JLP supporter to give her party political advantage? That’s the burning question right now. But, while it is being debated we hope that the heads of both parties, the director of elections, among others, will give serious thought to developing and implementing clear regulations for financial contributions to political parties and politicians.

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