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| Feb 18, 2023

Back from CARICOM, Holness eyes changes to anti-corruption laws

/ Our Today

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Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressing Jamaica Labour Party supporters at Belmont Road in New Kingston on Friday (February 17).

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has indicated that recent events around the release of an Integrity Commission report, which cited him for potential conflict of interest and breaches of the Corruption (Prevention) Act, might result in changes to anti-corruption legislation.

The release of the report and its revelation that Holness had been referred for possible corruption prosecution, had led to an almost 24-hour furore in local and international media this week, before it was revealed that the Director of Corruption Prosecution had already, more than a month earlier, ruled that there was no cause to pursue the matter.

Holness, who returned to the island on Friday (February 17), after participating in the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) 44th Heads of Government Meeting, said the matter should be used as an opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to addressing corruption, and to consider ways in which anti-corruption legislation can be fine-tuned.

“I believe what has happened has presented Jamaica with an opportunity to take a serious look at our anti-corruption framework and legislation,” the prime minister said as he spoke to supporters at the governing Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Belmont Road headquarters in New Kingston.

“This should not be taken in any way that the JLP and the Government that it forms, that I lead, is in any way supportive of anything that is corrupt. I think that there is now an opportunity to make the legislaiton more precise, to make it more practical and to refocus it on where the problems really exist.”

Tags
Corruption (Prevention) Act corruption probe Integrity Commission Jamaica Jamaica Labour Party political distraction Prime Minister Andrew Holness

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