Trevor Munroe | Information gets results! More informers needed!

Levels of trust among our people in the authorities remain low. For example, on a scale of 0-100, trust in the police is low, at 43.9. Four out of 10 Jamaicans believe that the police are involved in criminal activities (LAPOP 2017). Nevertheless, there are positive signs that we must all encourage:

- That 43.9 is 10 points higher than it was in 2014.

- In 2006, 56 per cent of Jamaicans were willing to justify acts of corruption; in 2017, that was down to 27 per cent.

- Over 71 per cent of Jamaicans expressed satisfaction with the work of the Major Organised Crime and Anti- corruption Agency (MOCA).

- 65 per cent expressed willingness to work with the police in their community to combat crime.

- Willingness to report wrongs, as reflected in tips to Crime Stop, has increased significantly over the last few years.

Those speaking out must be encouraged. Those who are afraid must be protected. The authorities must implement the recommendation made in March 2018 in the review of Jamaica’s compliance with the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, that Witness Protection should be provided to those reporting corruption under the Protective Disclosures Act (otherwise called the Whistleblower Law). The authorities should publicise the fact that, despite unavoidable inconvenience, no one under Jamaica’s Witness Protection system has ever been lost.

Those who feel that speaking out will have no impact, should observe the facts:

- Recent exposures in the media have triggered the ‘winding up’ of the Mobile Reserve.

- The investigation by the auditor general into Petrojam, which exposed wanton lawlessness in high places, took place, as the report itself points out, because of expression by the public of concern. So we would still be in the dark about hundreds of millions of dollars lost to the public purse had it not been for some speaking out.

- The Office of the Contractor General’s investigation and report into the sale of the Room on the Beach lands and property, again, “was prompted by information received from an anonymous source”.

CRIME STOP DEMONSTRATING THAT INFORMATION Gets RESULTS

Anonymous tips from the public in 2016 numbered 523, resulting in 34 arrests. By last year 2018, this was over 1,000 more than three per day. Results: over 100 arrested; 55 illegal firearms recovered; almost $8 million rewards paid out. In March this year, 105 tips were received; 11 arrests made and over three quarters of a million dollars in rewards paid out. More informers will produce more results.

It is now for our legislators, our investigators, our prosecutors, our judges to encourage more of our people to come forward by ensuring that more of the wrongdoers, however highly placed, are put behind bars.

Towards this end, the public needs to ask what are the reasons for the dismissal of former minister, Ruel Reid, whether there is an investigation into his conduct and where is that investigation at the present time.

The public needs to call for an update on the state of the investigation into the serious breaches uncovered by the auditor general at Petrojam.

The public needs to know what actions have been or are taking place in respect of “the failure of parliamentarians to properly complete statutory declaration forms and to furnish the required information of account balances and/or financial statements”, as set out in the 2017 Annual Report of the Integrity Commission laid in Parliament on April 30, 2019.

The Integrity Commission complained that “this unsatisfactory practice continues, despite reminders”.The public would be encouraged to inform the authorities more fully and to speak out more if “unsatisfactory practice” in high places was not simply complained about but attracted appropriate punishment, as would be applied to those without power and connections.

THE IMF REPORT

On April 22nd, the International Monetary Fund recommended “increase staff at the Integrity Commission quickly so that it can properly execute its investigative and prosecutorial functions” (page 35 of the report).

In the same way that the IMF was transparent enough to publish this and other recommendations, so too should the Integrity Commission publish its timetable for the appointment of a director of investigations and a director of corruption prosecutions, as well as associated staff. The IMF’s conclusion is indisputable in its application to Jamaica: “weak governance and corruption can severely hamper economic growth [and] impact…the rule of law” (page 31).

The annual Global Competitiveness Report confirms every year that corruption is among the top three of 16 most problematic factors for doing business in Jamaica.

Our own National Security Policy (available on the Cabinet Secretary’s website) tells us: “corruption of elected and public officials, public works contracts awarded to criminals” is among “high probability, high impact Tier 1 clear and present dangers” to national security.

More of us speaking out with anonymity, where appropriate, is more important now than ever. The more information, through more tips to Crime Stop, reports to the MOCA hotline, more letters to the editor, calls to talk shows, and posts on social media will bring more results. More informers are needed!

- Professor Trevor Munroe, CD, DPhil (Oxon), is the executive director of the National Integrity Action (NIA). Email feedback to tmunroe@niajamaica.org and columns@gleanerjm.com