AFC MPs begin to declare income, assets to Integrity Commission

Jan 30, 2009 News

Members of the Alliance for Change have begun submitting their declarations to the Integrity Commission.
The party said that they have begun receiving the packages from the Integrity Commission in the ‘proper manner’.
According to party, the AFC continues to maintain that its Members of Parliament are answerable only to the Integrity Commission and not to the President, who has no legal authority to compel, or threaten the institution of charges against any public official other than the Commissioners themselves.

“Our only expectation is that the information we submit will be treated with the strictest confidentiality and not become of part of an ongoing political witch hunt by the Office of the President and other state agencies,” a statement from the party said yesterday.
On Monday, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that he was extending the two-week ultimatum that he had issued to Members of Parliament to declare their incomes and assets to the Integrity Commission or face the courts.
He said that he has observed the recent ‘politicking’ that has been taking place as a result of his declaration, and contended that he does not want anyone to have any excuses.
The Head of State subsequently ordered Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, to ensure that the commission is fully resuscitated, hence the extension. Dr Luncheon has been mandated to engage the opposition in consultations over the appointment of the commission members.

He noted that he has heard statements that the Integrity Commission is unconstitutional and was not properly constituted, and has responded by saying that, despite the concerns of legality or problems with Commissioners, there was a mechanism in place, namely the Secretary of the Integrity Commission, and an obligation to the law.
He also called for civil society and the donor communities to speak out on the issue, given that on many occasions these bodies have complained about transparency.
Under the legislation, there is a specific list of office holders who are required to declare assets to the commission, and the commissioners declare their assets to the President.
According to the Act, the penalty for failing to comply is ‘a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for a term of not less than six months nor more than one year; and where the offence involves the non-disclosure by the declarant of property which should have been disclosed in the declaration, the magistrate convicting the person shall order the person to make full disclosure of the property within a given time; and on failure to comply with the order of the magistrate within the given time, the said offence shall be deemed to be a continuing offence and the person shall be liable to a further fine of ten thousand dollars for each day on which the offence continues.’

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AFC MPs begin to declare income, assets to Integrity Commission

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