By Prince Moore
The Integrity Commission is cautioning against unsubstantiated claims of bias in relation to the timing of yesterday's publication of the Gazetted summary of the latest Statutory Declaration by Opposition Leader Mark Golding.
The Integrity Commission noted that the summary, which was gazetted in accordance with the relevant provisions of the 2017 Integrity Commission Act, was also published in both daily newspapers.
In a media release, the Integrity Commission said it noted several comments on social media accusing it of bias and or acting politically to embarrass the Prime Minister by publishing the Gazette the same day on which the Annual Conference of the governing Jamaica Labour Party was convened.
It noted that a Cabinet Minister was among the commentators.
But the IC says the Summary of Statutory Declaration was signed by the IC's Chairman and dispatched to the Governor General, and the Jamaica Printing Services on October 29.
It says it received an email from the Jamaica Printing Services on November 11 with the first draft of the Gazette for the IC's review and on November 12 it sent an email to the Jamaica Printing Services indicating a correction to be made to Gazette.
*According to the IC, the amendments were made on November 19 and on the same day written instructions were given to the Jamaica Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer Newspaper Advertising Departments to commence the preparation of the artwork for the publication of the Gazette yesterday.
The Integrity Commission says the Gazette containing the Summary of the Statutory Declaration of the Opposition Leader is customarily published in the Gleaner and Observer Newspapers on the first Sunday following its finalization.
It says this has always been the practice in publishing the Gazette containing the Summary of Statutory Declarations, and this year's publication was in keeping with that practice.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
