Why corruption stinks?

Ian Boyne, Gleaner Writer

"There are no conditions to which a man cannot get accustomed, especially if he sees them accepted by everyone around him".

- Leo Tolstoy in Anna Karenina.

On Thursday when Jamaica for the first time marked International Anti-Corruption Day, Professor Trevor Munroe, director of the National Integrity Action Forum brought together Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Opposition spokesman on security, Peter Bunting (deputising for the leader of the Opposition) to speak to opinion leaders in the media to ensure that Jamaicans would not continue this detente with corruption. Munroe expected the PM to stay for two hours. He stayed for four, fielded questions from talk-show hosts and columnists and chatted freely and openly on the issue of corruption and what he was doing about it.

For the first time with journalists, the prime minister gave a progress report on all 14 items of his reform agenda to which he had committed himself in that May 17 mea culpa broadcast to the nation. The chief justice was there and was extremely enlightening about why no special coroner had been appointed, and why things seem to be moving so slowly with some aspects of justice reform and court management. Dirk Harrison from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was there also to answer questions on some critical issues. Justin Felice of the anti-corruption branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force was also on hand, as were key international development partners.

Contractor General Greg Christie, evidencing continuing symptoms of media phobia (except for his ubiquitous press and voluminous document releases) declined the invitation to face the press but did (what else is new?) send a lengthy press release to mark the day. "Corruption erodes the quality of life; leads to human-rights violations; steals political elections; distorts financial markets; reduces investor confidence; increases the price of goods and services; undermines or destroys confidence in critical public institutions and enables organised crime, terrorism and other threats of human security to flourish," wrote the son of the accomplished playwright, the late Carmel Christie.

Christie went on to highlight the harmful effects of corruption in ways that the man on the street could understand: "When unscrupulous businessmen agree to pay corrupt officials kickbacks for the award of lucrative state contracts; when public assets are sold below value to connected parties; when government contracts or licenses are awarded to politically - connected persons or to corporate entities in return for political campaign donations, or when foreign financial aid is illegally diverted into the private bank accounts of public officials, it simply means that there will be less public funds available to build schools and hospitals, to fight crime and to provide for much needed public infrastructure and services such as housing, roads, water and electricity," Christie said through his usual ventriloquist - the press release.

He made the disclosure that, in 2009 as much as $90 billion was expended by the Government to secure contracts for works, goods and services. If even a fraction of that goes to the corrupt, then that is money stolen from the poor for, as Christie notes profoundly, "Although everyone in the society will suffer because of corruption, the most vulnerable - the poor - will suffer first and suffer the worst". And, as a result, "the prospects for improving the social-economic plight of an entire country are at one and the same time summarily impeded, compromised and undermined."

Repeating poll finding

Trevor Munroe has been happily repeating the poll finding that, while in former years corruption did not feature as prominently as it should in the hierarchy of concerns of Jamaicans, it has now gone ahead of even unemployment as a priority concern. Our corruption-aversion index has been going up, Trevor believes, and this has been empirically demonstrated by our improvement in the rankings put out by Transparency International, the anti-corruption watchdog.

Developed societies which generally do better than less-developed societies on the corruption scale don't get their rankings because their populations have morality written in their genes or inscribed in their cultures, while less developed ones are congenitally corrupt and culturally cursed. There is a strong correlation - both negative and positive - between economics and corruption. If your public bureaucracy is inefficient, customer-unfriendly, and investor-hostile, with a lot of square pegs in round holes etc., then even decent, moral people will be severely tempted to engage in corrupt acts simply to get things done and go about their business.

If it takes forever to get basic public services, then there will always be business for the corrupt. This is why the Government's Public Sector Transformation Programme is so important and why its reforms should be supported nationally.

If we could carry out some of the radical changes and realignments needed in the pubic sector, we would in that one stroke, reduce a sizeable amount of the invitation to corruption. Let Danville Walker tell you how much revenue has been protected, and how many 'bandooloo' holes he has plugged by simply reorganising Customs and changing systems.

We should not have to just depend on good men and women to fight corrupt. Again, it is a case of 'systems, not men.' Put the right systems and structures in place and we eliminate a good portion of corruption.

Empirical research

Also, empirical research has demonstrated that economic growth in itself takes care of a good chunk of corruption. If more people have economic opportunity and a chance at a decent living, there would be fewer lines of corruption. Economic underdevelopment breeds and feeds corruption.

So, the moralists who think all we need are better values and attitudes have to think again, and must realise that achieving economic growth and taking the tough decisions to do so is a part of the thrust to reduce corruption. Poverty is one of the greatest pollutants to morality and a great incubator to corruption.

Sure, rich people are also corrupt and some people's greed is insatiable. Rich countries have corruption, too. (That's why the Dutch are so interested to ask questions of the Peoples National Party about its interaction with their officials.) But that does not negate the nexus between poverty, underdevelopment - lack of economic growth and well-being - and corruption.

Also, there needs to be institutional and political mechanisms to control corruption and the abuse of power. We need the legislation to establish a special prosecutor to throw some politicians and high officials behind bars - for long periods. We need to criminalise the political code of conduct as well as the corrupt award of contracts. We need to vest constitutional authority in the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) and the Electoral Commission. We need to enact legislation hastily to impeach public officials. Concrete measures must be implemented to detribalise garrisons. Laws dealing with political campaign financing must be enacted post-haste. All these and more are overdue. The prime minister must attend to them with the utmost urgency. We must hold him to it.

I also would now like to record my support for the contractor general's proposal for a single anti-corruption agency such as exists in Sierra Leone, where significant progress has been recorded, coming from a very low base similar to Jamaica.

The DPP has to deal with all and sundry issues and is clearly overburdened. We need a special body to deal specifically and surgically with this corruption cancer on the national body.

The single anti-corruption authority with prosecutorial authority incorporating the OCG, the Corruption Prevention Commission, and the Parliamentary Integrity Commission is needed. Mark you, with the present contractor general's overzealousness and abrasiveness in certain instances and his non-aversion to over-reaching his authority, there could be legitimate concerns about vesting so much authority in a body, should he occupy it. But I think what we lose now from not having such a single authority is far worse than any missteps Christie is likely to make. Plus, remember the fact that he would have prosecutorial powers still does not give him power over the judiciary. So the executioner's powers will be denied him.

We have a corruption crisis in Jamaica - whatever the figures Transparency International is showing. Before Christie retires, give him some more powers to go after the corrupt, and those careless in their use of power.

I say, 'systems, not men', but I firmly believe that is only part of the truth. Individuals make a difference. Leadership makes a difference. It matters who is occupying what posts. The OCG existed before Christie occupied it - with all its powers - but the dread and terror, shock and awe which that office inspires in the rich, powerful and famous in Jamaica - not to mention humble and haughty civil servants - is Christie's creation. The OCG is what Greg Christie has made it,

The preacher of transparency

Christie, who assumes the right to question anyone and who is the preacher of transparency, will be questioned by no one publicly. But never mind. We have spent a lot of time talking privately and I have formed an impression of a man who is as addicted to integrity, honesty, and probity as many are to sex and drugs.

Christie is a remarkable Jamaican who should be cloned. He has a fearlessness of the Jamaican ruling classes and power elite that I will admire to my grave. While many of us in media have a lot of strength only for downtown untouchables, Christie boldly takes on the uptown untouchables. No matter what your family name is or how high your national honour; no matter how iconic your status and how many boards you control or who you control, you cannot control Christie. If we don't have more people like this in Jamaica, I don't care how many systems and legislation you put in place, you can't successful fight corruption.

Christie's fearlessness and feistiness are connected to his lack of obsession with money and profiling. Christie doesn't have to play golf (or dominoes!) with you or attend your palatial dos or cocktail parties. Christie does not need your favours or crave your social approval. That frees him to embarrass you, no matter who you are. Thank God we have at least one of those!

Ian Boyne is a veteran journalist who may be reached at ianboyne1@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.