THE ANDREW Holness-led Government has imposed a gag order on Cabinet ministers and government lawmakers from commenting on matters relating to the Integrity Commission (IC), including a probe into six lawmakers who allegedly have acquired wealth illicitly.
At the same time, members of the parliamentary Opposition, in the Lower House and in the Senate, have declared that they have not been contacted by the anti-corruption body regarding an investigation into illicit enrichment.
Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, in an emailed response, told The Gleaner: “I have not been contacted by the Integrity Commission regarding any probe into illicit enrichment.”
At the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House yesterday, The Gleaner asked five ministers who were present if they had been contacted by the IC in relation to an investigation into illicit enrichment.
“We have experience of recent conversations of matters between the State and the Integrity Commission, and there was a clear policy decision that we will not, even before this event or this conversation, we will not comment on Integrity Commission matters,” declared Robert Morgan, minister with responsibility for information.
Morgan, who responded on behalf of the ministers, indicated that the prohibition imposed on members of the executive and “members of the government” not to speak on matters relating to the IC came in the form of a Cabinet policy.
“There is a policy decision from Cabinet that we do not comment on the Integrity Commission … . We do not comment on a creature of Parliament that is overseen by Parliament as Cabinet ministers and as members of the Government,” Morgan stressed.
The ministers present at the post-Cabinet press briefing were Fayval Williams, Pearnel Charles Jr, Dr Christopher Tufton, and Dr Norman Dunn.
However, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck told The Gleaner on Monday that he was not aware that he was being investigated by the IC.
“I haven’t got any letter to say I am being investigated, so I suspect that I am not,” he stated.
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill, also made it clear on Monday that he had not been contacted by the IC over any matter linked to illicit enrichment.
The Gleaner contacted Morgan yesterday to ascertain the date when the Cabinet policy shutting down comments by ministers and government MPs in relation to the IC was introduced.
While not being able to provide a specific date when the policy took effect, Morgan said it was introduced around the time when the prime minister instructed government ministers and lawmakers to end the “cass cass” with the IC.
On June 13, this year, Holness told legislators not to engage in a quarrel with the anti-corruption body that reports to Parliament.
This followed the unleashing of a series of tirades against the IC over reports tabled in Parliament and the non-signing of the Leadership Code of Conduct.
On July 25, at a meeting of the Integrity Commission Oversight Committee, Minister with responsibility for Works, Everald Warmington, accused a director at the IC of being a “political activist”.
However, chairman of the committee Edmund Bartlett shut down Warmington, saying his remarks were inappropriate.
“Member, there is decorum and there is respect in all of these matters, and I wish that you will preserve that,” Bartlett said.
Warmington then stormed out of the meeting, accusing Bartlett of muzzling him.
And on July 16, then newly appointed Senator Abka Fitz-Henley accused the IC of partisan action against the administration.
“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 as he opened the State of the Nation Debate in the Upper House.
In its 2022-23 annual report, the IC said that six members of the Lower House were under investigation for illicit enrichment.
Last week, Director of Investigations at the IC, Kevon Stephenson, said that the lawmakers 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”.
Stephenson was responding to a question asked by Member of Parliament for St Andrew South East, Julian Robinson, during the July 25 meeting of the Integrity Commission Oversight Committee.
In a release yesterday, Jamaicans for Justice called on the prime minister and leader of the Opposition to act regarding individuals under investigation for illicit enrichment by the IC.
“While recognising that natural justice is important, the leaders of Government must send a signal that corruption will not be tolerated and urge its members to take temporary leave from any parliamentary functions that they may hold,” JFJ said.
The group also called on parliamentarians currently facing investigations to voluntarily step aside from their duties, particularly if they hold positions within the Oversight Committee of the IC or the Joint Select Committee responsible for reviewing the legislation governing the anti-corruption body.
JFJ also urged Holness and Golding to prioritise the interests of their constituents over the affiliations of their political allies.
“The current situation demands swift, unflinching action to safeguard the integrity of governance and to maintain public trust,” the JFJ said.
Opposition MPs who responded to the question of whether they were being investigated for illicit enrichment
1. Mark Golding – no
2. Lisa Hanna – no
3. Phillip Paulwell – no
4. Peter Phillips – no
5. Dr Maurice Guy – no
6. Mikael Phillips – no
7. Fitz Jackson – no
8. Julian Robinson – no
9. Natalie Garvey – no
10. Lothan Cousins – no
11. Denise Daley – no
12. Anthony Hylton – no
13. Hugh Graham – no
14. Dr Angela Brown-Burke – no
Opposition Senators who responded to the question of whether they were being investigated for illicit enrichment
1. Peter Bunting – no
2. Donna Scott Mottley – no
3. Janice Allen – no
4. Dr Floyd Morris – no
5. Damion Crawford – no
6. Sophia Fraser Binns – no
7. Lambert Brown – no
8. Gabriella Morris - no