Opposition Leader, Mark Golding and founding Director of National Integrity Action (NIA), Professor Trevor Munroe, are calling for the six legislators under investigation for illicit enrichment to be named.
Golding, speaking at a PNP National Executive Council meeting in Trelawny, said “I have been calling on the prime minister to disclose who those persons are, so that appropriate action can be taken by them, or by him if they are not willing to do so.”
He also said the six parliamentarians should also “step back” until the matters are finally resolved.
“Thus far, we have heard nothing from him on the matter, apart from a vague comment that he has asked far and wide and hasn’t heard anything,” Golding argued.
“I therefore use this opportunity to repeat the call to the prime minister to disclose who these six persons are, and to each and every one of them to do so if the prime minister is not willing to do so”.
Last month Prime Minister Holness said he hasn’t received indication that anyone in his ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is linked to illicit enrichment investigations.
“I have asked as far and as wide, and I haven’t got that response from everyone, but as far as I have been told, no,” Holness told reporters, adding “people have been written to, as the Integrity Commission does almost daily, but I have not heard of anyone in my political party being written to for this matter of illicit enrichment.”
Meanwhile, Munroe, speaking on Radio Jamaica’s show, 'That’s a Rap', called on those legislators under investigations to follow House Speaker Marisa Dalrymple Phillibert who last week announced that she would quit Parliament after the Integrity Commission ruled that she be charged for making a false declaration to the public body.
“Those six, we don’t know if they are in positions where they could influence the Parliament decision as to whether and how far as some members are proposed to weaken and dis-empower or take away some of the power of the Integrity Commission,” Munroe said.
Golding told party supporters that the decision by the former speaker to resign her position as well as being the Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern, was an indicator that integrity had been upheld in the Jamaican Parliament.