Sedi Says Longsworth Should Not Have Deposited Money into Private Account

Herman Longsworth

As you heard, the former minister says the establishment of the company, Go Enterprises, was undertaken to facilitate the completion of work at the Marion Jones. Longsworth states that work ceased when the National Sports Council could no longer pay. But the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington, who was Longsworth’s boss until this week, agrees that it is not proper for the fired Consul General to deposit monies from the N.S.C. into his private account.

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“The problem seems to have arisen some years ago when Mr. Longsworth was dealing with some construction, I think it may have been the Marion Jones Stadium where he got funds to do certain works and there’s some suggestion that the auditor general’s people, the people working for the auditor general is making the allegation that in fact they have evidence showing that some of the funds at least were funneled into his personal bank account.  I think that is really the crux of the matter that funds that were supposed to have been dedicated to the project were traced into his personal bank account.  I have not read the auditor general’s report but I have not heard it suggested that the works for which the funds were paid were not done.  I had a discussion with Longsworth and he informed me that the works had been done.  But for reasons of expediting the activity, the monies were funneled into his account.”

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington

Isani Cayetano

“But is it not a conflict of interest, perhaps illegal even, that a public official, in this particular case a junior minister with sports as his portfolio, would set up a company that would then provide private works for the construction of the Marion Jones Sporting Complex in this case?”

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington

“Certainly, that is not deemed to be proper.  It’s regarded as self-dealing, you know what I mean, and it’s not the most ideal way to do business at all, at all, especially when you are dealing with funds that are not your own.  It’s always better to have an arm’s length transaction if you are the minister, hire an independent company to get the work done.”