Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

Davis

Several Government ministries have begun shredding official, political and personal documents ahead of the impending change in Government.

While the destruction of these documents has been perceived by some as a deliberate attempt to conceal possible evidence of corruption, Dr. Carlton Davis, Cabinet secretary, sought to dispel those concerns.

He told The Sunday Gleaner that the shredding of documents is a long-standing protocol dating back to the 1950s. He explained that the Cabinet papers of ministers demitting office are usually destroyed.

established protocols

"There have been long-established protocols to deal with Cabinet papers when a minister is leaving office, not just a government changing - a minister may be leaving office in the same government, or when a government is being changed," Davis explained.

When asked why these documents are destroyed, Davis said the Cabinet Office has a record of the documents.

"Any subsequent administration can get the contents of these documents because there is a permanent record here, the Cabinet Office. So, nothing is lost really."

The Cabinet secretary revealed that secretaries or "whoever" presides over the disposal of the documents, verifies that they are destroyed.

When told that information had reached The Sunday Gleaner that documents were being shredded at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Davis opined that it must be within the ambit of the established protocols.

"(If documents are being shredded) at the Ministry of Finance, it must be the records. I don't know how people don't learn these things. There are protocols that go back to 1956. I'd be surprised if (at) a ministry like that there is anything illegal, because they would know the protocols," he said.

Sources close to The Sunday Gleaner revealed that personnel at the Finance and Planning Ministry were seen last week shredding documents, which were said to be waste.

farewell

The sources also revealed that Dr. Omar Davies, outgoing Finance and Planning Minister, held a farewell meeting at the Ministry's Marescaux Road offices, Friday. The sources said the short meeting was filled with Davies' usual humour, as he bid them farewell. Additionally, the sources said that Davies told the gathering that he did not need to know their political affiliation, and encouraged them to execute their jobs in a professional manner.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Local Govern-ment, Dean Peart, must have anticipated the result of the election because he did house cleaning two weeks ago, sources told The Sunday Gleaner.

Peart, they said, got rid of personal and political documents, but he did not destroy any official documents.

Sunday Gleaner sources said that the ministry received a "frantic call" last week, instructing them not to shred any official documents.