Cabinet policy bars ministers from commenting on IC issues
Published:Wednesday | August 16, 2023 | 2:16 PM
The Andrew Holness-led Government has declined to indicate whether Cabinet ministers are among six legislators being investigated by the Integrity Commission (IC) for illicit enrichment, noting that a policy decision has been taken not to comment.
However, Information Minister Robert Morgan, when contacted by The Gleaner Wednesday morning, could not give a definitive date on when the policy came into effect.
Morgan had an hour before told journalists at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, that it was Government policy not to comment after five ministers present were asked if they had been contacted by the IC about the investigation.
“We do not comment on Integrity Commission matters. The Integrity Commission is an organisation that is independent to do its investigation,” said Morgan.
“We have taken a decision months ago that government members will not comment on Integrity Commission matters in the public domain.
“We have experience of recent conversations of matters between the State and the Integrity Commission and there was a clear policy decision that we will not - even before this event (illicit enrichment investigation) or this conversation - comment on Integrity Commission matters,” he added.
Several Opposition legislators have indicated that they have not been contacted by the IC in relation to any investigation about illicit enrichment.
Government members in June blasted the IC, with Justice Minister Delroy Chuck declaring that Jamaica’s single anti-corruption body has no “integrity” and that government lawmakers had no confidence in the reports published by the corruption watchdog.
“The commission has demonstrated a certain bias, a certain unfairness, which demonstrates that this Integrity Commission lacks integrity,” he declared.
Prime Minister Holness subsequently called for a cessation of the “cass cass” with the IC.
Two days later, newly minted Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, during the opening of the State of the Nation debate called for an investigation into an alleged “toxic culture” at the IC.
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