The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) is now investigating which of its executives may have authorised the release of a letter to the Portland Parish Council, offering control of its half-finished craft village facility in Port Antonio.

Last Friday, The Gleaner broke the news that TPDCo had made the offer to the council.

In the letter received by the Parish Council from that agency more than two weeks ago, it clearly outline that TPDCo would, in fact, carry out the necessary repairs on the craft village should the council accept the proposal.

The TPDCo's Port Antonio office denied knowledge of any letter. The company's St Ann's Bay office is also reportedly distancing itself from the issue.

In the meantime, a senior source at TPDCo in Port Antonio who asked not to be named noted that the authenticity of the letter was not being questioned but that there were questions about who issued the proposal.

According to the TPDCo source, the agency donated approximately $25 million to carry out major repairs to the Musgrave Market in Port Antonio, primarily the craft vendor section, which begged the question, why would it then want to spend millions on an alternative.

Could cost $8 million

Rehabilitation of the abandoned craft village would cost somewhere between three and $8 million.

The abandon craft village at Allan Avenue in Port Antonio was built to accommodate craft vendors, but during the final phase of the construction, the contractor assigned to the project allegedly absconded it.

- Gareth Davis Sr