Illicit enrichment squabble

The Governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) have clashed over comments made by Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who claimed that he has been assured by lawmakers on his side of the political divide that they are not among the eight parliamentarians now under investigation for illicit enrichment by the Integrity Commission (IC).

In its annual report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the IC stated that two more parliamentarians have now been added to the six that were already being probed for illicit enrichment.

Deputy General Secretary of the JLP Charles Sinclair is taking Golding to task for stating that no opposition lawmaker is under investigation by the IC for illicit enrichment.

Sinclair said as far as he is aware, the commission does not as a matter of practice write to individuals and state specifically that they are under probe for illicit enrichment. As such, he charged that there is no way Golding can speak with any certainty.

“The PNP president is up to mischief and has been misleading the people on this matter for well over a year,” Sinclair declared.

However, the PNP has hit back saying it is alarmed at the “disgraceful concoction of misinformation and misdirection being employed by the JLP in the face of damning revelations by the IC” that eight lawmakers are under investigation for illicit enrichment.

Opposition spokesperson for information Nekeisha Burchell has accused Charles of attempting to mislead by suggesting that the IC does not inform individuals under investigation.

Burchell pointed out that in a public statement in Parliament, the IC’s Director of Investigation Kevon Stephenson, said: “All declarants who are being investigated for illicit enrichment must be so advised. Declarants under such an investigation must, by law, be given an opportunity to explain how they came by their assets.”

She said Charles’ assertion that the PNP cannot speak with certainty on this matter is incorrect and, by extension, the JLP should also be able to say if the eight MPs under investigation sit among them.

Burchell said that the PNP stands by Golding’s statement on Thursday that all 22 PNP parliamentarians (MPs and senators) have confirmed that they are not aware of being investigated by the IC for illicit enrichment.

She challenged Sinclair and the JLP to state unequivocally whether any of their members are under investigation for illicit enrichment.

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