Contractor General Greg Christie has submitted his special report from an investigation conducted into allegations of corruption and irregularity in relation to certain Government of Jamaica bridge-building contracts. The contracts were awarded to the British firm, Mabey and Johnson Limited. The following are excerpts from the report.

The OCG (Office of the Contractor General) has conclusively determined, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the holder of Birmingham, UK, Barclays Bank Plc. and Kingston, Jamaica NCB accounts, into which Mabey and Johnson made several illicit payments, is none other than Joseph Hibbert.

Five months after Hibbert's alleged trip to the UK in July 1998, Mabey and Johnson submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Ministry of Works to design and build flyover bridges for Jamaica. Subsequently, the ministry awarded a contract to the consortium Kier/Mabey, which was dated 1999 December 16, in the amount of $950,965,680.

Based upon the sworn written testimony of Mr Deryck Gibson, the OCG has concluded that Gibson and/or Deryck Gibson Ltd, in its/his capacity as the agent in Jamaica for Mabey and Johnson, had made several arrangements for travel to the UK for and on behalf of Hibbert and Mabey and Johnson, for the benefit of Hibbert and others.

The OCG has conclusively determined that Mr Hibbert in his respective capacities as then chief technical director in the Ministry of Transport and Works and the chairman of the Government's Contracts Committee, and by virtue of the authority of the said positions, was in an unmistakable and undeniable position of influence in so far as same was related to the award of contracts on behalf of the ministry and the Government.

The OCG has further concluded that the evidence on record raises an overwhelming and strong inference that … payments constituted bribes, and that Hibbert was indeed bribed by Mabey and Johnson, and did knowingly and willingly receive and accept bribes from Mabey and Johnson.

The documentary evidence overwhelmingly points to Mabey and Johnson payments which were allegedly paid for and on behalf of Hibbert but which, by no stretch of the imagination, could be classified as Ministry of Works business-related "out of pocket expenses", as Hibbert has asserted.

Mabey and Johnson alleges that a total of £94,434.62 was paid directly to Hibbert, together with an additional aggregated sum of £10,652.12, which was allegedly paid "... to people apparently linked to Hibbert, including his niece, and in respect of travel for Hibbert and other officials" - all for a grand total in direct and indirect payments of £105,086.74.

Examples of payments:

£5,000 paid on November 5, 1998, on account of Mr Hibbert's mother's funeral expenses. Mr Hibbert's mother passed away on November 1, 1998.

£2,000 which was paid allegedly at Hibbert's direction on January 6, 2000, to Hibbert's friend, Janice Chase, to help her redecorate her flat.

£500 was paid to Hibbert's niece, Faith Judusingh, allegedly for funeral expenses in respect of an unidentified person.

Hibbert, in receiving and accepting any sum of money or benefits or gifts or commission from Mabey and Johnson, was not, and was never, authorised to do so.

The records of the ministry do not indicate an awareness on the part of the Ministry of Works of Hibbert's receipt of any funds, payment amounts or benefits whatsoever, from Mabey and Johnson.

Officers of public bodies of the Government of Jamaica, when acting in an official capacity, are expressly forbidden by applicable and published GOJ regulations and staff orders from accepting any gift, gratuity, benefit or commission from any other person.

Although Hibbert has denied receiving any cash payments from Mabey and Johnson, the evidence shows that two cash payments totalling £2,000 were allegedly made by Mabey and Johnson to Hibbert in July 1998 while he was in the UK.