Shaw

Finance Minister Audley Shaw threw out suggestions yesterday that Danville Walker was to be given a job at Customs, saying he was not aware of it.

But he confirmed that a probe, led by the Financial Investigations Division (FID), is under way at the department in the wake of reports of fraud at the Customs Valuation Unit.

Shaw later said on Nationwide radio that a job in the public sector would not be ruled out for Walker, who this week quit as director of elections as his American citizenship denies him the post.

FID last week raided Customs to collect evidence. The head of the Customs Valuation Unit has been sent on leave, Shaw said.

He also told Wednesday Business that FID had hard evidence of fraud, but not against whom.

"There have been persistent reports of undervaluation of imported goods including motor vehicles, trailer loads of goods - persistent reports of goods being undervalued in order to accommodate a lower-than-expected duty payment level."

Shaw said FID had seized documents and is now carrying out "a deeper and more forensic investigation".

"They are now carrying out an extensive review of valuation, to see to what extent the issue might be pervasive, and the extent of depri-vation of government resources," he told Wednesday Business.

The minister also indicated that charges would be filed, if evidence supported prosecution, in line with the current administration's commitment to stamp out corruption.

Stamp out corruption

"It is a signal of the absolute seriousness of this government that we are going to stamp out corruption wherever it exists," said Shaw. "Because that corruption is depriving the country.

"Every citizen of Jamaica, every taxpayer of this country, is being deprived of services because of rampant corruption in too many areas of government, including my Customs Department, and I am resolute that we are going to deal with it."

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com