Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator
GOLDING
OPPOSITION LEADER Bruce Golding says he will not retract statements made about former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's involvement with GoodWorks International Ltd., the company he alleged was involved in negotiations to divest the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited.
Earlier this week, law firm Myers, Fletcher and Gordon wrote Mr. Golding demanding a retraction of his statement and threatening to take legal action against him for remarks he made about the company being involved in the sale of JPS to Atlanta-based Mirant Corporation.
NO WITHDRAWAL
Mr. Golding told The Gleaner yesterday he had no intention of withdrawing his statement and that his lawyers were handling the matter.
At his post-Budget press briefing last week, Mr. Golding told reporters that the Opposition thought it was "inappropriate" that Mr. Patterson had accepted a job with the company.
The company, however, denied being involved in the Mirant negotiations and had given Mr. Golding until Monday this week to retract his statement before seeking redress.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the governing People's National Party says it deplores the "personal and mean-spirited attack" by Mr. Golding on Mr. Patterson, the party's former president. Mr. Patterson has been appointed a consultant to GoodWorks.
"It is obvious from statements made by Mr. Patterson himself and from representatives of GoodWorks Limited, that Mr. Golding made no effort to ascertain the basic facts on which his alleged concern was said to be based," the Executive Committee said in a statement yesterday.
