Integrity Commission Report Recommends Prosecution for Illicit Enrichment, False Declarations, and Non-Compliance

The Integrity Commission’s investigation report into the statutory declarations of Dr. Andrew Wheatley, Member of Parliament for South Central St. Catherine, leaves him with no other option than to resign.

 A Source and Application of Funds analysis covering the period 2013 to 2022 found that Dr. Wheatley’s total known income of approximately $187 million could not account for assets and expenditures totalling approximately $351 million, leaving a disproportionality of $164 million that he was unable to explain satisfactorily. The Director of Investigation has recommended that the matter be referred to the Director of Corruption Prosecution. This is not an allegation of minor oversight. It is untenable and, as a member of the cabinet, it is a formal finding, by an independent constitutional body, that a sitting Cabinet Minister may have benefited from funds derived from unknown or unlawful sources.

“Let me make this unequivocally clear: Dr Andrew Wheatley must not remain in the Cabinet of Jamaica while an Integrity Commission report before Parliament exposes grave concerns regarding unexplained assets, statutory declarations, and non-compliance with lawful information requests. Public office is a duty, not a private privilege. Jamaica demands leaders who act with unwavering integrity, whose loyalty is solely to the Jamaican people, and who recognise that accountability is a non-negotiable obligation.” – Paul Blake, President, The Patriots.

“This issue surpasses Dr Wheatley personally. The Prime Minister must be accountable for the political culture he perpetuates within the Jamaica Labour Party. Repeated questions about integrity involving his government members cannot be dismissed by silence or delay without implicating him in complicity. The Prime Minister cannot claim to champion good governance while allowing individuals under serious integrity investigations to remain protected by Cabinet status.”  – Paul Blake, President, The Patriots. 

The question now falls squarely on the desk of the Prime Minister. Dr Wheatley is not a backbencher. He sits in the Cabinet. The Prime Minister either knew the nature of these integrity concerns and retained him regardless, or he did not know and that itself raises questions about the vetting standards applied to those granted ministerial authority. This is not the first time questions of integrity have surrounded figures within this administration. A pattern is not an anomaly. It is a culture

Dr Wheatley has served as a public official since 2003. The period under investigation spans nearly a decade of his parliamentary career. None of this occurred in obscurity.

“The PNP Patriots unequivocally oppose all forms of corruption whether hidden in silence, shielded by political influence, or revealed through official reports. Dr. Wheatley must resign from the Cabinet immediately. If he refuses, the Prime Minister must remove him without delay. Anything less signals a disregard for justice and only reinforces the belief that cronyism prevails birds of a feather flock together. Jamaica deserves a government that does not shelter scandal. Jamaica demands transparent leadership, honest service, and officials committed to putting the country above personal gain.”  — Paul Blake, President, The Patriots.

The PNP Patriots call on Dr Wheatley to resign from Cabinet without delay. We call on the Prime Minister to act if he does not. And we call on Parliament to treat this report not as a procedural document but as what it is, a serious indictment of the integrity standards at the heart of this government.

“The Integrity Commission’s recommendation that criminal charges be laid against Minister Andrew Wheatley over alleged illicit enrichment raises serious questions not only for the Minister, but also for the Prime Minister himself. Jamaicans will recall that the Prime Minister publicly stated that he had searched ‘far and wide’ among his Members and found no one under investigation for illicit enrichment. Today, one of two things must be true: either he was misled by members of his own administration, or he misled the Jamaican people. Both possibilities are deeply troubling. This matter cannot and will not be swept under the rug. The Prime Minister owes the country a full and frank explanation. If he was indeed misled, then he must search ‘far and wide’ once again and tell Jamaicans whether there are other members of his Government currently under investigation for illicit enrichment. – Davalle Grant, General Secretary, The Patriots.