By Lorraine Mendez
The Director of Corruption Prosecution has ruled that House Speaker and Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, be charged in connection with allegations that she made a false statement in her statutory declarations filed over the period 2015 to 2017.
Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert is also to be charged for a similar offence in relation to her declarations filed over the period 2018 to 2020.
The Integrity Commission's Investigation Report into the statutory declarations filed by Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert alleges that she failed to disclose a Mercedes Benz GLA250 motor vehicle of which she was the legal owner.
According to the report, the Director of Information and Complaints, by way of letter dated February 14, 2022, requested further particulars in respect of the vehicle in question.
In a response letter dated March 29, 2022, Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert indicated to the Director of Information and Complaints that she does not own a 2015 Mercedes Benz GLA 250.
But the commission says the evidence obtained from Tax Administration Jamaica, Ministry of Finance, Jamaica Customs and Sagicor Jamaica Limited, confirmed that the said motor vehicle was acquired and registered in Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert's name from 2015 until it was sold in May 2022.
Following the revelation on Tuesday, the House Speaker insisted she has “nothing to hide”.
In a statement, Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert acknowledged the investigation involved a car that she bought in 2015.
Seeking to explain why her statutory declarations up to 2021 did not have the vehicle on it, she said she "honestly forgot about the vehicle", which was purchased for $6 million.
For the Integrity Commission, however, failing to disclose an asset is a crime.
Under the Integrity Commission Act, anyone who makes false statements in a statutory declaration or knowingly provides false information can be fined up to $2 million or two years in prison.
The House Speaker has retained the legal services of prominent defence attorney Peter Champagnie.
In the meantime, she said she will resubmit correct documents to the commission in the next 24 hours.
The Integrity Commission report has been referred to two committees, one of which Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert chairs.
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