KINGSTON, Jamaica – In a strongly-worded statement released Wednesday, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) launched a blistering counterattack against what it describes as “unrelenting, baseless and coordinated attacks” on Prime Minister Andrew Holness by certain elements within the Integrity Commission.
The ruling party’s unprecedented public rebuke of the anti-corruption watchdog points to three separate incidents over the past two years that they claim unfairly targeted the Prime Minister’s reputation. The most recent salvo came just yesterday, when a Commission report tabled in Parliament attempted to link Holness to a company in which the JLP insists he holds neither directorship nor shares.
At the heart of this latest controversy is a disputed building permit issue. The JLP contends that the Commission’s report falsely accused the company of constructing four rooms where only two were approved, despite recent documentation from the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation confirming compliance with the original permit.
This follows a March 2024 incident where Commission agents tabled what the JLP describes as a report “filled with innuendos and mis-statements of fact.” The party emphasizes that despite a thorough examination by an independent international forensic accounting examiner, no evidence of impropriety or illicit enrichment was found against Prime Minister Holness.
The JLP’s statement also revisits a contentious February 2023 episode, where Commission agents recommended charges against the Prime Minister for alleged conflicts of interest.
According to the party, the Commission delayed publishing a subsequent ruling that cleared Holness of any wrongdoing. Adding fuel to the fire, a senior Director of the Commission allegedly circulated social media content suggesting potential prosecution of the Prime Minister, even while presumably aware no charges would be forthcoming.
The same Director later found himself at the center of another controversy when he attempted to link the government to a criminal shooting involving a Commission colleague.
The JLP notes that police reports indicated the victim routinely transported large sums of cash. Despite public pressure, the Director has neither resigned nor apologized for what the party terms “reckless and intemperate utterance.”
In a remarkable twist of institutional politics, the JLP – which takes credit for establishing and funding the Integrity Commission through the passage of the Integrity Commission Act – now finds itself suggesting the watchdog has been “hijacked.”
The party maintains that while it supports the Commission as an institution, certain agents within are acting with “malice” toward both the Prime Minister and his government.
The current dispute over financial declarations adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing tension. Part of the March report, now subject to Judicial Review, suggested charging the Prime Minister for failing to declare what the JLP describes as “negligible sums” in his parents’ bank accounts – accounts they claim Holness had neither knowledge of nor interest in. The party notes that the Commission’s own competent authority had already ruled against pursuing charges.
This evolving story highlights the growing strain between Jamaica’s executive branch and its anti-corruption watchdog, raising questions about the delicate balance between oversight and overreach in the nation’s governance structure. (WiredJA)