Integrity Commission disputes media coverage on parliamentarians referred for illicit enrichment
/ Our Today
administrator
The Integrity Commission says it is today (July 10) correcting inaccuracies that have been reported in the media, regarding parliamentarians who have been referred for illicit enrichment.
In its sixth annual report for 2023-2024, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday, the commission’s Information and Complaints Division, reported that “two parliamentarians” were referred for illicit enrichment.
The commission, in its statement, emphasised that the “referrals” stated were made during the 2023-2024 yeporting year.
“They have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on any Referrals that were made in the previous 2022-2023 reporting year, when six parliamentarians were referred for illicit enrichment,” the commission declared.
Continuing, the commission noted that when the two reporting periods are taken together, it means that an aggregate of eight parliamentarians have been referred to its Investigation Division for illicit enrichment over the period April 2022 to March 2024.
“The Integrity Commission has made no comment on the status of any investigation that may be related to any specific illicit enrichment referral. It has no power in law to do so,” the commission added.
In conclusion, the Integrity Commission said that media reports which have deduced that the ‘Illicit 6 is now down to 2’—in reference to the Jamaica Gleaner’s July 10 article—or that ‘only two Parliamentarians are now under investigation for Illicit Enrichment’—from yesterday’s Nationwide News report—are therefore “patently inaccurate, misguided and without any foundation whatsoever in fact or in law”.
The Jamaica Gleaner, in an editor’s note following today’s publication, retracted its presumption and apologised for the error.
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