Integrity Commission hides behind secrecy

Jan 21, 2026 News

---

…as questions mount over Tourism Minister’s wealth

(Kaieteur News) – Amid mounting concerns regarding the accumulation of wealth and ownership of multibillion-assets both locally and abroad by a junior minister who now leads the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the Integrity Commission has refused to answer any questions, insisting that the law requires strict confidentiality.

This newspaper emailed half a dozen questions to the commission one week prior to the explanation by the body that it is prohibited from disclosing any declaration made in accordance with the Integrity Commission Act, CAP 26:01.

The body explained, “The commission wishes to advise that the mandate of the integrity commission is circumscribed by the Integrity Commission Act, CAP 26:01 which dictates a strict and continuing obligation of confidentiality in respect of the contents of all declarations received and any assessment undertaken by the commission.”

It pointed to Section 35 (1) of the legislation which states, “Any information received by any member, or by any officer or other employee of the commission, in the course of the performance of the functions of such person under this Act (including information contained in any document received by that person by virtue of the provisions of this Act) shall not be divulged by any such member, or by any such officer or employee, to any Person, except to the extent necessary to exercise or discharge his functions as such member or officer or employee or to comply with the provision of any written law or the order of any court or for the purpose of prosecution for an offence.”

While the Act prevents the disclosure of information by the commission relative to the assets of persons in public life, the body declined to say whether it was conducting an investigation of the minister’s assets, or if a probe would be launched in light of the corruption scandal involving the minister.

The commission informed Kaieteur News, “The Integrity Commission must again refer to Section 35 of the Integrity Commission Act, CAP 26:01 regarding confidentiality, which expressly regulates the confidentiality of matters before the commission and precludes any further comment.”

Among the questions submitted by this newspaper was whether the commission was satisfied that the assets owned by the minister matched her income. Kaieteur News also asked the Integrity Commission if the minister declared ownership of any properties and or companies in the United States.

As the authority charged with key oversight on assets owned by persons in public life to avert corruption, the commission’s response leaves much to be desired. As the only independent body tasked with carrying out such a serious mandate, questions will continue to linger on whether the minister indeed declared ownership of her overseas and other local assets.

The Integrity Act at Section 15(1) highlights the requirement for persons in public life to declare all assets to the commission. It states, “A person in public life is required to disclose in his declaration, under section 13, such details in respect of the income, assets and liabilities of himself and those of his spouse and his children, as by the exercise of reasonable care should be known to him.”

‘No excuse’

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, the former president of Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI), Frederick Collins laughed heartily when he heard that the commission even refused to simply state whether it was satisfied that the minister’s income matched her assets.

For him, had the declarations been “above board” there would be no hesitation to address such a query.

“That’s a question that is good for a lawyer. Why, if things are so above board, why can’t the integrity commission simply answer the question as to whether they are satisfied? That it seems to me is a fair question to ask, and I don’t understand why given the fact that there’s so much controversy over it, the fact that they are going to refuse to answer such a question might suggest that things that are not above board,” the anticorruption activist reasoned.

He pointed out that while he understands the commission is not allowed to disclose any declarations made to it, the tourism minister can authorise the commission to make the disclosure if she so desire, in the interest of transparency.

Collins however cautioned that while a person in public life may submit declarations to the commission, it does not mean a full declaration was made, as was flagged in Trinidad and Tobago a few years ago, involving Judge and former Prime Minister, Badeo Panday.

Dysfunctional

Collins is of the view that the integrity commission, like others such as the commission of information does not serve the country but rather, individuals.

He reasoned, “here’s the problem that we have, the integrity commission has not been functioning in the way that an integrity commission, as I understand it, ought to function. Like so many institutions in Guyana, the institutions that protect the country seem to be more organised to protect people, individuals than protect the country.”

He pointed to the commission of information as an example of such an agency he believes is responsible for running Guyana under a ‘blanket of secrecy’.

No investigation

Last week, President Irfaan Ali dismissed calls for an investigation into the rapidly expanding asset portfolio of Minister Rodrigues. He explained that the minister has sufficiently accounted for her wealth through public explanations and statutory declarations.

It was leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed who dropped several bombshell disclosures on prime properties owned by the former housing minister.

She later accepted ownership of a U.S property and an overseas company, two parcels of prime state lands in Guyana and other properties, financed through mortgages.

Rodrigues made it clear that all her assets were declared to the commission.

---

• Frederick Collins, Integrity Commission, secrecy, Susan Rodrigues, Wealth

---