Integrity is everything
Published:Thursday | August 24, 2023 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
It was reported recently that the PM of Belize sent one of his ministers on leave from Cabinet duties pending the outcome of an investigation related to impropriety involving a female attorney. The report suggests that the request to go on leave came from the minister himself. In other countries, we have seen former leaders and senior officials arrested and convicted of crimes related to corruption, money laundering, fraud and other forms of impropriety.
This is not unusual in countries governed by a system of integrity that works. In Jamaica, we have not been vigilant enough. The country loses billions of dollars to corruption which could have otherwise benefited vital public services such as healthcare, education and social projects which are poorly funded.
In Jamaica, we have impromptu gag orders on these matters and persons under investigation are not recused.
Charges are rarely brought to the court. The six members under investigation for ‘illicit enrichment’ would know who they are. If the PM is among the six, he should be recused as well, there should be no exception. Parliamentarians are sworn into office with an oath, and integrity is at the core.
CONSISTENTLY RANKS POORLY
Some members in the House have previously attacked the Integrity Commission (IC), questioning their practices, ethics and even integrity. Defensiveness, fear and anger usually come from a place of nervousness.
The Integrity Commission should be allowed to do its job independently without fear. The IC is governed by an Act of Parliament and the Board of Commissioners is comprised of a group of respectable professionals with decades of experience in fields such as the judiciary, auditing and management.
When we have actions such as the swift passing of a bill to extend the age of retirement from 60 to 65 years old, a move which clearly benefits the current DPP who turns 60 years old in a matter of days, it is highly suspect. Is it ethical for the country’s chief prosecutor to be allowed to cling to this office for over 15 years (with two extensions) when her performance is questionable?
The few corruption cases before the court are drawn out forever with many appeals, delays, bail action, until they fall under the radar and acquittal is inevitable. I suspect that the current case with former Minister of Education Ruel Reid and former President of CMU Fritz Pinnock may eventually be thrown out. Now we hear about the poor attendance (and scheduling issues) with parliamentary oversight meetings. These matters all speak to our system of integrity and its effectiveness.
Jamaica consistently ranks poorly in the Corruption Performance Index, the fourth-lowest in the Caribbean. We must do better. Economic growth means nothing, without integrity. If there is nothing to hide, there should be nothing to fear. Integrity is about trust, accountability, and transparency. We cannot prosper as a country without integrity.
P. CHIN