World News | Official: Jamaica's PM Will Not Be Charged Following Probe

San Juan, Feb 17 (AP) A top prosecutor in Jamaica has ruled that Prime Minister Andrew Holness won't face charges over possible conflict of interest in contracts awarded to a construction company in 2007-2009 while he was education minister.

Jamaica's director of public corruption issued the ruling on Thursday after reviewing a report on the case by the country's Integrity Commission.

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The commission investigated the case after a news report in 2016 raised questions about close ties between Holness and principals of a company hired for several roof repairs at schools and other projects.

The panel found that Holness knew two directors and shareholders of the company for more than 20 years.

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The company had received 10 contracts totalling nearly USD 142,000, but only five of them were reported to the Office of the Contractor General as required, the report said.

Holness, education minister from 2007 to 2012, said he never exercised influence on any process for the awarding of the contracts.

Holness became prime minister following 2016 elections. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)