Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday revealed that he has been flooded with petitions for Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey to remain within the constabulary, and hinted that the veteran cop, whose retirement took effect on September 7, will be assigned elsewhere to continue crime fighting.
Read more: PM hints at continued crime-fighting role for Fitz Bailey
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has announced that Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Richard Stewart will assume responsibility for its Crime and Security Portfolio, effective Monday.
Read more: DCP Richard Stewart to replace Fitz Bailey as head of JCF Crime and Security Portfolio
A months-long probe has uncovered that at least three politicians linked to the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and five linked to the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) have been referred to the director of investigation at the Integrity Commission (IC) following allegations of corruption/illicit enrichment.
In almost all of the cases the allegations have been made to the IC by people who claim to have information surrounding acts of corruption/illicit enrichment, but there is no documentation to support these allegations, based on a newspaper probe.
This was in addition to six Members of Parliament who were referred in the previous reporting year (2022-2023).
In one of the allegations a high-ranking PNP politician is accused of using international banking accounts to hide millions of dollars in assets not included in his annual declarations of income, assets and liabilities to the IC.
He reportedly under-reported his assets to the IC by not including money gained through a controversial trucking programme.
According to the allegation, the municipal corporation official is in breach of the Corruption Prevention Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
There is also a claim that the local government official misappropriated funds sent to the corporation by the Ministry of Local Government for repairs to a State-owned facility.
Similar allegations have been made about the three politicians linked to the JLP with one claim of undeclared assets totalling millions of dollars being hidden in international financial institutions.
JLP Leader Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said that he is not aware of any of the party’s parliamentarians being investigated for illicit enrichment by the IC and that his consultations elicited a negative response.
“I survived 9/11 not once, but twice. The first time by being fired from my job. The second time by recovering after getting sick at the site of that job.”
Christopher Berry, a distinguished leader in Jamaica's financial sector and Executive Chairman of Mayberry Investments Limited, was honoured as one of four illustrious inductees into the St. George's College Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at S Hotel.
Read more: Mayberry Chairman, Christopher Berry inducted into St Georges Hall of Fame