Morgan defends Government's record as corruption stain lingers
Published:Thursday | February 10, 2022 | 12:09 AM
Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Robert Morgan, is defending what he claims is the Government's unmatched record in the fight against corruption.
“The evidence shows that this administration from 2016 has done more in the fight against corruption than any other administration in the history of Jamaica,” Morgan, who has portfolio responsibility for information, said in a post-Cabinet briefing at Jamaica House Wednesday.
The minister's strident defence of the Government's record of fighting corruption has seemingly not been borne out by Transparency International's (TI) latest ranking on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
The 2021 CPI showed that Jamaica had fallen one place to 70 out of 180 countries. Jamaica's 2020 CPI score of 44 out of 100 – where zero means 'highly corrupt', and 100 'very clean' – remained unchanged for 2021.
Morgan sought to dismiss claims by Transparency International that Jamaican politicians have been resisting anti-corruption reforms.
“I do not see, and I sit in the Parliament, and based on conversations and knowledge that I have of what takes place in the Parliament, I have not seen any resistance by any member of parliament, at least on the Government side, to the fight against corruption,” Morgan declared.
But in its response to Jamaica's latest CPI score of 44 out of 100, the Integrity Commission said that “the only reason that can be discerned for TI's refusal to elevate Jamaica's 2021 CPI score is the sole public remarks that it has made about Jamaica in its report”.
The TI report stated: “Jamaica has been struggling for several years. It has made some progress – the establishment of the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency as an independent body, and the corruption cases recently pursued by the Auditor General's Department are two examples – but this comes alongside significant resistance to (anti-corruption) reforms from many politicians in the country.”
The Integrity Commission said it was not surprised by TI's statement.
The anti-corruption body says it has advanced repeated recommendations for revisions to be made to Jamaica's anti-corruption legislative and policy frameworks, but to little or no avail.
Recommendations have been made in the commission's three annual reports to Parliament, in its routine investigation reports, as well as in its special position papers, two of which were recently tabled in Parliament before the Integrity Commission Parliament Oversight Committee.
However, contrary to assertions made by Morgan, none of the recommendations have, to date, been implemented by the Government.
Since July 2020, the Integrity Commission Oversight Committee has been deliberating on the annual reports of the commission, but none of the recommendations have been adopted.
Morgan challenged this claim Wednesday, questioning, “Are you saying that of every single recommendation that the Integrity Commission has made, not one recommendation has been approved, adopted, enacted? I don't know if that is correct.”
He indicated that a recommendation for more financial assistance to the Integrity Commission was approved.
However, no such recommendation was contained in any of the three annual reports.
The leadership of the Integrity Commission have expressed the view that if the agency's recommendations were implemented, the anti-corruption watchdog would be “in a better position, as well as Jamaica, to advance the effectiveness of the fight against the scourge of corruption that appears to have placed the country in a vice grip”.
In his comments Wednesday, Morgan said, “If someone makes a recommendation and the duly elected Parliament of Jamaica does not agree with all the recommendations, that cannot then be perceived as being a hindrance in the fight against corruption.
“What it would then suggest is that any entity in Jamaica that makes a recommendation to Parliament, [the Parliament] is obligated to accept that recommendation. I do not know in a democratic society if that would be a reasonable conclusion to make,” he added.
Even as Morgan stoutly defended what he believed to be the Government's unparalleled fight against corruption, the US State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) of 2021 highlighted the nexus between corruption, organised crime leaders, senior government officials and/or powerful and influential Jamaicans.
According to the INCSR, “Jamaican law penalises corruption, but in practice, corruption remains entrenched and widespread, even among senior government officials”.
The report, which is submitted to the US Congress, also states that “Corruption at Jamaica's airports and seaports facilitates the movement of drug shipments across borders, and organized crime leaders have historically had ties to government officials”.
Last July, former British High Commissioner Asif Ahmad indicated that local political figures were still linked to gun-running and other illegal activities in Jamaica.
Ahmad, who was completing his four-year tour of duty, told The Gleaner, “When we run operations here with Customs, chasing firearms, or when we follow the money as we do – and our American colleagues have the same experience, as well as Canada – it is striking still how often the trail leads to a politician on a council somewhere.”
Recommendations for amendments to the Integrity Commission Act (Third Annual Report)
1. Disclosure of gifts to parliamentarians/public officials from relatives
2. Offence for misleading, obstructing or non-compliance with request from the Director of Investigation
3. Authority to comment on investigation (removal of so-called gag clause (Section 53:3)
4. Action of the commission not void for want of form
Amendments to other legislation
5. Public Procurement Act
6. Evidence Act
7. Witnesses' Expenses Act
8. Interception of Communications Act
9. Committal Proceedings Act
10. Adoption of ISO-37001 Anti-Bribery Management Systems
11. Implementation of anti-bribery legislation
12. Regulating the transition of senior public officials into private employment
The Integrity Commission made 14 recommendations in its 2020 Annual Report for legislative changes and best practices.