Keisha Prince appointed director of corruption prosecution on six-month secondment

The Integrity Commission has announced the appointment of Keisha Prince as its director of corruption prosecution.

Prince, a deputy director of public prosecution in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), is being seconded to the Commission for a period of six months.

Former contractor general Dirk Harrison had acted in the post of director of corruption prosecution at the Integrity Commission until he demitted office on September 1 when he proceeded on retirement.

Harrison was appointed contractor general on February 25, 2013.

The Office of the Contractor General was later subsumed into the Integrity Commission under the Integrity Commission Act 2017.

So too were the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption and the Integrity Commission (Integrity of Parliament Members) Act.

That statute, which took effect on February 22, 2018, abolished the post of contractor general, and in its place, created the post of director of corruption prosecutions, but Harrison was never appointed to the position.

Instead, he was asked to act in the role on an interim basis.

READ: Dirk Harrison to retire from Integrity Commission

In a statement this morning, the Integrity Commission said Prince was granted an instrument of appointment yesterday by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.

It provided no information on what will happen at the end of Prince's six-month secondment, or whether a search was under way for a permanent appointee.

However, the Commission said Prince’s appointment will support efforts to execute the mandate of the Corruption Prosecution Division.

The Commission also said her appointment will enable the full discharge of the functions of the division as the entity completes its recruitment exercise.

Harrison was assigned to act as director of the corruption prosecutions division; former secretary manager of the Corruption Prevention Commission, David Grey, was installed as acting head of the investigation division; and Joy Powell was appointed interim director of the information and complaints division.

READ: Fill vacancies, but don’t delay on Integrity Commission review

There has been increasing concern about the vacancy in the post of director of corruption prosecution at the Integrity Commission.

Five things about Keisha Prince

1. Holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.

2. Holds a Certificate of Legal Education from the Norman Manley Law School.

3. Was called to the Bar in November 2006.

4. Has been employed to the ODPP for the past 11 years.

5. Headed the units for Corruption Prevention and Coroner’s matters at the ODPP.

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