More ‘cass cass’

DESPITE A call by Prime Minister (PM) Andrew Holness for Government lawmakers to halt the broadside against Jamaica’s single anti-corruption body, Abka Fitz-Henley, the freshly minted senator, yesterday took aim at the entity, accusing it of partisan action against the administration.

Chairman of the Integrity Commission ret’d Justice Seymour Panton in an emailed response to The Gleaner said he is not aware of the claims made by Fitz-Henley.

In his maiden contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Upper House, the new Government senator said he was concerned about a matter relating to the Integrity Commission.

“I was told that there are people within the commission who the furthest extent of their training is the civil law, but they are seeking to cajole others who have extensive expertise in the criminal law to take action against senior members of this side despite no evidence suggesting any culpability,” the senator said.

The senator said he received information that when those more adept at the criminal law provide guidance that potential issues did not reach the standard of an administrative breach they were heckled, “as attempts are being made by some key agents to unjustly have actions taken against this side”.

According to Fitz-Henley, “I am told that people in the commission have been brought to tears by snide comments made by others merely because they are seeking to do their jobs fairly”.

‘Toxic culture’

He called on Parliament to investigate what he described as a “toxic culture” at the commission.

“I make that call and I don’t do so lightly, but I do so based on information that I believe is credible and I will not resile from that call.”

When The Gleaner sought a response from Panton, he said in an emailed response: “I am not in a position to respond as I don’t know what the senator is talking about.”

Opposition lawmaker Lambert Brown yesterday cautioned Fitz-Henley not to cast improper motive on a commission of Parliament, which goes against the tradition of the House.

“What I am hearing is an aspersion on the commission that the commission is partisan,” Brown maintained after rising on a point of order.

However, President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson, did not entertain the point of order and allowed Fitz-Henley to continue his presentation.

“The aspersion that the Integrity Commission is partisan is unworthy to be said in this House,” Brown continued.

On Tuesday, the prime minister told legislators to stop what he called the “cass cass” with the Integrity Commission.

Fitz-Henley said that he did not intend to attack any institution, noting that he was in agreement with the prime minister that where there are genuine concerns the space to air them is in Parliament.

However, the PM’s remarks followed an appeal on Tuesday from Member of Parliament for St Andrew South East, Julian Robinson, who urged his parliamentary colleagues not to use motions of adjournment to vent against the commission.

Robinson said that if parliamentarians have a concern about the operations of the commission, they can raise those issues during the sitting of the oversight committee or the committee reviewing the Integrity Commission Act.

Fitz-Henley also sought to revive debate on the addendum to the March 2022 special report of investigation into allegations of impropriety, irregularity and corruption in the issuance of firearms to persons of questionable character.

On Tuesday, St Mary Western Member of Parliament Robert Montague continued his tirade against the commission after accusing it of being biased after the anti-corruption body exonerated former National Security Minister Peter Bunting, in its addendum following its March 2022 damning report on his stewardship as minister.

In his comments yesterday, Fitz-Henley said: “To belatedly send a document to Parliament which ostensibly cleared one former minister of allegedly egregious conduct, without taking a similar course concerning another erstwhile minister when the facts of the cases are not majorly dissimilar – that does not appear just or non-partisan”.

The Integrity Commission on Tuesday said it would not conduct any further review of its March 2022 report.

The anti-corruption body said: “Anyone who has an issue in relation to the report should go to the Judicial Review Court.”