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By Prince Moore
The Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) has expressed concern about the increase in the number of parliamentarians and public officials being investigated for illicit enrichment.
The Integrity Commission, in its 2023/2024 annual report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, stated that two additional parliamentarians are being investigated.
The Commission says this therefore means that eight parliamentarians have been referred to its Investigation Division for Illicit Enrichment over the period April 2022 to March 2024.
Jeanette Calder, Executive Director at Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal, says the parliamentarians under investigation should speak publicly on the matter, in the interest of transparency.
"What we see retired justice Seymour Panton and the chair of the Commission saying is, there is nothing to prevent declarants or persons under investigation from speaking on the situation as it relates to them."
Noting that there have been other parliamentarians who have shared in the House of Representatives that they are under investigation by the Integrity Commission, Ms. Calder said the questions for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to address his uncertified statutory declarations, or for any other members to speak on their status, are legitimate.
"The Integrity Commission can't [talk to us], but [parliamentarians] can be more forthcoming about what they think the problems might be," she contended Thursday while speaking on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.
Reduce powers?
At the same time, National Integrity Action (NIA) believes there could be an attempt to reduce the powers of the Integrity Commission amid the revelation of additional parliamentarians being investigated for illicit enrichment.
Danielle Archer, Principal Director of NIA, noted the people who make the laws are the ones being challenged by the Integrity Commission.
"It is at this juncture that I'm sure you're going to hear that the Integrity Commission is out for the politicians, that they're out for the public officials, and we cannot miss sight of the goal, which is the build public trust and to improve transparency and accountability when it comes to public funds," she argued.
She urged persons to read the Integrity Commission's report carefully and to accurately share it with the public to avoid fake news or false information being spread.
Ms. Archer was also a guest on Beyond the Headlines.
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