Gov’t unaware of PAC pressure on Auditor General to name journalist

The Holness administration says it's "not aware" of the circumstances in which government representatives on a parliamentary committee yesterday demanded the name of a journalist who reported on an issue being deliberated in Parliament.  

And it says because of that, it cannot say at this time whether it condones such requests by lawmakers.  

“Maybe we're not as informed as we should be about events that took place yesterday. Give us some time to understand the context of what you're asking because we are not aware,” said Robert Morgan, the state minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.  

“It (question) is significantly without context. I'm not necessarily au fait with the circumstances from which this question comes,” added Morgan, whom portfolio minister Fayval Williams asked to address the question raised at this morning's post-Cabinet press briefing.  

Morgan also said a formal request could be made to the ministry for a response.  

Yesterday's meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) dominated the news cycle and social media after government member, Robert Miller, asked Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis to name the journalist from The​ Gleaner who spoke with her about a story published Tuesday.  

READ: PAC meeting caused Monroe Ellis to miss exit audit

READ: Gov't members hound auditor general in media leak inquiry

Government members on the committee were peeved that the news report contained information, received from Gordon House, which they expected to get from the auditor general during the meeting.  

Monroe Ellis has been appearing before the PAC to answer questions about an audit of her department by the Ministry of Finance.   

However, the exchanges have been very tense, with committee members, notably Heroy Clarke, last week chiding Monroe Ellis for being unable to say then why she missed the January 29, 2020, exit interview dealing with the audit by the ministry. 

The news article revealed that the auditor general missed the interview because of a PAC meeting scheduled for the same day.  

Although she confirmed only verifying the interview date with the reporter, an unsatisfied Clarendon Northern MP Dwight Sibblies questioned Monroe Ellis on whether she would agree that “based on the information in the article, it seems to have come from your office”.  

“No,” the country's top auditor responded.

"I see nothing in that article that would suggest that information came from my office. I cannot be asked to answer for a Jamaica Gleaner article.”   

Miller, the representative for St Catherine South Eastern, wanted more, including the name of the journalist, and the date and time when the reporter called the auditor general.   

But Monroe Ellis insisted that she would not do so, in keeping with her department's practice. 

That stance angered government members including Clarke who questioned the authority of the auditor general. 

Sibblies, Clarke, and Miller, the main protagonists, backed down after senior opposition lawmaker Dr Morais Guy noted that over his near two decades of PAC experience, the practice of the auditor general's department not to name persons was never challenged and should not be done in this instance. 

PAC chairman Julian Robinson later ruled that the auditor general should not answer the question. 

Governance watchdog the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal has expressed concerns about the developments.  

Earlier this month, France-based Reporters Without Borders reported that Jamaica was ranked seventh out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, down from sixth in 2020.  

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