‘I am clear’ … PM Holness insists he has no issues with Integrity Commission; prods delinquents to comply
Published:Sunday | March 1, 2020 | 12:00 AMLivern Barrett - Senior Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is suggesting that the publication of his 2018 statutory declaration of income, assets and liabilities is an indication that he has been given the all-clear by the Integrity Commission.
The Integrity Commission is the body established by law to police Jamaica’s anti-corruption laws.
For some time now, Holness has been dogged by questions about his declarations for the 2016 and 2017 calendar years.
The whispers got louder after Pamela Monroe Ellis, one of the five commissioners at the corruption watchdog agency, confirmed during a nationally televised press conference last May that the commission still had not clear the prime minister’s 2017 declaration.
WATCH: Special interview with PM Andrew Holness
Sunday Gleaner sources revealed, too, that investigators at the commission made an “adverse recommendation” against Holness from as far back as June last year for what they claim was his failure to provide information that was requested to complete the analysis of his 2016 declaration.
However, while acknowledging, during an exclusive Jamaica House interview with The Sunday Gleaner on Tuesday, that he was tardy with his 2016 declaration, the prime minister insisted that he has since turned over to the commission all the additional information that was requested to complete the analysis.
“It is as a result of doing that why my integrity report for 2018 was published publicly,” he asserted.
“It wouldn’t be possible to publish and certify the integrity report for one year without considering all the years before because, obviously, balances carry forward into current years and, therefore, if there was an issue with a previous year then that would have to be resolved before the subsequent years could be published.”
Attempts to get clarification from the commission were unsuccessful.
TIMELY FILING IMPORTANT
Last week, The Sunday Gleaner reported that six members of parliament from both sides of the political divide could soon face legal charges for breaches of the Integrity Commission Act. According to sources, the parliamentarians were delinquent in filing their annual declarations of income, assets and liabilities, which is mandatory.
Holness explained that due to a “hectic schedule” in the aftermath of the Jamaica Labour Party’s narrow victory in the 2016 general election, he was “not able to respond to the Integrity Commission in the time that they had placed in their letter of request for the information”.
However, he said he requested and was granted an extension, and made sure all the information was submitted before the revised deadline.
“I have completed and returned and provided the Integrity Commission with all the [responses to the] questions they have asked,” Holness stressed.
The prime minister said since then, he has had no further communications with the commission about any outstanding information.
“If there were, I would certainly seek to provide it right away, but I’m not in possession of any request for any further information,” he stated.
Underscoring the importance of the work being done by the commission, Holness said with Jamaica moving into a new era of public accountability, it is important that all public officials file their declaration in a timely manner.
“I would use the opportunity to make the appeal, even using my own case, to say make every effort to comply with the requests of the Integrity Commission.”
According to the 2018 declaration, which was gazetted last August, Holness and his family had an income totalling $15,569,477.41; assets valued at $161,254,055.89; and total liabilities of $22,218,182.61.
They also declared US$8,125 in income; US$28,272.11 in total assets; and zero liability in US dollar.