Thread by @jovanthony

Officials at HEART/NSTA Trust have been wrestling with conflicts of interest claims over the award of millions in contracts to a technology company whose CEO is the State’s multibillion-dollar training agency’s board chairman. jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-s…

Edward Gabbidon, the CEO of SynCon Technologies, has been serving as chairman of the Trust since April 3, 2017, and was last month reappointed for another term by Prime Minster Andrew Holness.

For the period of his chairmanship, Gabbidon’s company has won at least eight contracts, worth approximately $38 million, according to the Integrity Commission’s quarterly contract report.

SynCon is a 27-year-old IT consultancy firm that has been supplying cloud, wireless and cybersecurity services, among others, to HEART from as far back as 2013. These services are not unique to the company, an official there admitted.

However, it has not always been smooth for HEART’s procurement officials, some of whom have had serious discomfort with the agency inviting SynCon to bids, a Sunday Gleaner probe has uncovered.

Internal emails show that although Gabbidon signed declaration of interests form, the procurement committee was not satisfied and sought further guidance from the agency's lawyer. That advice, if provided, not yet known.

“I think there’s a difference if you are the board chairman versus being a regular board member. Some distance is needed and that could mean losing out on some money, but the services are not exclusive,” said a cybersecurity professional.

Last December, Technology Minister @darylvazmp announced reappointment of Gabbidon as chairman of Spectrum Management Authority, the body that regulates radio frequency in Ja.
@jayceejm says that appointment could be in breach of the Government’s Corporate Governance Framework

Framework stipulates that the chairperson of a public body “should preferably be selected from an industry not related to or conflicting with the nature of business of the public body”.

In a Feb 24, 2020 email seeking legal advice Procurement Director William Malabver questioned whether Gabbidon signing one of his company’s tender documents should disqualify SynCon from bidding for $2m contract.

He also wanted to know whether the declaration of affiliation and interest form signed by the Gabbidon was “sufficient” to treat with conflict of interest and whether going forward, HEART should continue to invite SynCon to participate in restrictive or national competitive bids.

Audrey Sewell, the permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, where HEART is based, said she will have to seek a report from the agency as she was learning about the issues from this newspaper for the first time.

“I’ve never had any concerns expressed whether inside the organisation or outside the organisation to my office. Nothing has ever come to my attention" - PS Sewell