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‘We expect arrests’ - Phillips nudges law-enforcement agencies probing corruption allegations

Published:Monday | September 23, 2019 | 12:26 AM

The parliamentary Opposition says it expects law-enforcement authorities probing allegations of irregularities and corruption at a number of state agencies to “do their jobs”.

People’s National Party (PNP) President Dr Peter Phillips made the comment yesterday before delivering a warning.

“We expect arrests to be made,” Phillips said as he addressed the PNP’s 81st annual conference at the National Arena in St Andrew. “Be it minister fi get arrest, former minister fi get arrest, high official fi get arrest, low official fi get arrest, connected party people fi get arrest … , we expect the police to do their jobs.”

Phillips said that the Opposition is also expecting “transparency and accountability”.

“We will not rest until justice is done by the people of Jamaica. We are not going to stand by and see those who are corrupt go unpunished,” he insisted.

In March, Prime Minister Andrew Holness asked former education minister Ruel Reid to resign amid a slew of corruption allegations at a number of agencies that fall under the education ministry, including Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).

Since then, the police have confirmed that Reid is the subject of a criminal investigation.

In July, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, in a legal opinion given to the Financial Investigations Division (FID), indicated that four criminal laws may have been breached by “key players” in the corruption saga.

The FID indicated at the time that the legal opinion contained some “excellent recommendations”.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com