The Integrity Commission has gazetted the names of public officials who failed to submit declarations of their assets to the Commission for the period July 2018 to June 2019.

The Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly, and a number of Government Ministers and Members of Parliament are among the names of more than 50 public officials listed by the Integrity Commission in the Official Gazette as having failed to declare their assets for the period.

However, since the information has been made public, at least three of the Government Ministers listed have stepped forward to indicate that they had submitted their assets.

Government Ministers Dr. Karen Cummings, Simona Broomes and Tabita Sarabo-Halley have all indicated that they had submitted their declarations.

In a statement on her social media pages, Minister Simona Broomes stated that the notice by the Commission is “erroneous” since she had already submitted her declarations in keeping with the law.

“I, therefore, expect the Integrity Commission to correct the public record forthwith”, Broomes stated.

Minister Tabitha Sarabo Halley in a Facebook post said her documents were submitted to the Integrity Commission on the 31st January 2020. She became a Government Minister in April 2019, two months before the deadline for submission period she was named in.

Among the other Government Ministers listed in default are the Attorney General Basil Williams, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, Minister within the Ministry of Communities Annette Ferguson, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Valerie Garida-Lowe and Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood.

Several other holders of public offices are also listed in the Official Gazette over their failure to make their declarations.

Under the Integrity Commission Act, persons holding public offices and positions listed under the Commission’s Act should disclose their financial assets and liabilities on or before June 30, each year.

According to the Act, failure to file a declaration without reasonable cause could result in a summary conviction and a fine of $25,000 along with prison time.

Related posts:

Every Minister should comply with declarations to Integrity Commission -President Integrity Commission wants public’s opinion on Code of Conduct for Ministers and Parliamentarians Enforcement powers being sought for Integrity Commission Jagdeo wants all MPs and Former Presidents to declare foreign assets