‘When you throw stone in a pig sty …’ Burke reacts to Davies on campaign money claim
People’s National Party General Secretary Paul Burke is appearing defiant following claims for him to withdraw statements that implicate former senior ministers in a multi-million dollar campaign financing scandal.
This afternoon, former Transport Minister Dr Omar Davies issued to the media, a copy of a letter he sent to Burke demanding a retraction of the claims.
Contacted this afternoon, Burke reserved public comment on the matter but made one declaration.
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“All I will say; when you throw stone in a pig sty and one holler, it’s that stone (sic),” Burke told The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre.
The scandal rocking the PNP first came to light after the leak of a report from the former PNP treasurer, Norman Horne, that monies collected on behalf of the party were not handed over.
Davies in his statement accuses Burke of telling a meeting of the PNP’s National Executive Council that it is customary for large Chinese firms to pay an ‘agent fee’ ranging from 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent of their total project cost.
He says while Burke did not name anyone, many persons left the meeting with the impression that he (Davies) was the government minister who had recommended the agent to the Chinese firm.
But Davies denies making any recommendations to any Chinese firm for an agent or knowing anything about any contributions made to the party