PM, other parliamentarians run afoul of integrity law
Published:Wednesday | May 1, 2019 | 12:00 AMEdmond Campbell/News Coordinator
The 2017 annual report of the Integrity Commission has revealed that five current and three former parliamentarians’ statutory declarations that were submitted to the oversight body did not receive the all-clear signal from the agency.
The current parliamentarians whose declarations were examined but not cleared at the date of the report were Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Zavia Mayne, Luther Buchanan, Leslie Campbell, and Ian Hayles. Former parliamentarians Ruel Reid, Arnaldo Brown, and Keith Walford’s declarations were also not cleared.
In the 2017 annual report, one junior minister and two current parliamentarians – Alando Terrelonge, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, and Kerensia Morrison – were reported to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) for failing to furnish additional information requested in order to complete the examination of their statutory declarations.
At the same time, former Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Parchment had also been reported to the DPP for not presenting his 2015 statutory declaration to the commission. Arnaldo Brown has also been reported to the DPP for the same reason.
There are seven former parliamentarians who are yet to make statutory declarations since December 31, 2017. Dr Kenneth Baugh and Derrick Smith did not submit, owing to illness, while Arnaldo Brown, Hugh Buchanan, Richard Parchment, Jolyan Silvera, and Alexander Williams had not submitted their declarations as at December 31, 2017.
Each parliamentarian is required to furnish to the Integrity Commission a statutory declaration of his/her assets, liabilities, and income as at the date of his/her election or appointment, and thereafter by December 31 each year.
During the period under review, among the current parliamentarians who were reported to the parliamentary leaders for failing to present statutory declarations on time were Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson and his deputy, Aubyn Hill, as well as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Franklyn Witter, and Leader of Government Business Karl Samuda.