Before Contractor General Greg Christie came on the scene, the current minister of finance, Audley Shaw, had made it his duty, as opposition spokesperson on finance, to air all the dirty laundry and misdeeds that occurred under the then PNP administration.

And we cheered him on... some of us. Others called him a water boy - I imagine for his carry-go bring-come style as it relates to the scandal news of the day that sent some $6 billion down the drain: Netserv, Operation PRIDE, Fat Cat Salary, the Shell Waiver scandal, the Zinc scandal. Shaw was relentless in digging up and talking about all the irregularities that took place.

He's been silent since becoming the minister of finance - certainly, keeping the country on a fiscal track precludes him from further scandal mongering -- and he hardly comments on the incidents of fraud that occur even in his own ministry. Earlier this month, a senior director in the ministry's taxation department was charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to deceive, forgery and breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act in matters relating to a tax waiver. A day later it was discovered that another senior executive had authorised and approved documents and invoices for catering services, training, and various other things which over a period of four years bilked the ministry of some $21 million. She fled the island. In late 2007, nearly $17 million belonging to former Matthews Lane strongman Donald 'Zekes' Phipps disappeared from a safe at the Ministry of Finance's Financial Investigations Division at its Heroes Circle offices.

And all this occurred in a single ministry with checks and balances we assume to be far superior than those which obtain in any other ministry. It is frightening to think of what could be taking place with the public purse at other ministries. We believe more than ever that we need a Greg Christie who will watchdog matters which have to do with public procurement and government contracting and the abuse of office on the part of those in whom Jamaican taxpayers have placed their trust.

Just seven months after he was sworn in as contractor general in 2005, Christie questioned procurement procedures at the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC), the Social Development Commission (SDC) and Air Jamaica. He ordered his office to monitor contracts awarded to the relatives of public officials, which include members of parliament. His office uncovered an elaborate criminal conspiracy involving a group of sham contractors exploiting the National Housing Trust (NHT), as well as a member of staff from Christie's own office. The list is long: bauxite company, Petroleum Corporation, independence celebrations. He is relentless, and no one is above scrutiny - those strong enough to withstand the scrutiny will certainly be vindicated. Christie's job, as we see it, is to keep everyone honest.

As recently as March this year, Christie shared with members of the media a news story about the conviction of the former Sierra Leone minister of health and sanitation on corruption charges.

The minister imposed his will on the procurement process against the advice of members of his staff and was charged with abuse of office, abuse of position and wilfully failing to comply with laws and procedures, and guidelines relating to procurement, tendering of contracts and management of funds. The minister, in his defence, said he never read what he was signing. The judge told him he was smarter than that and sent him to jail for five years.

The point of the story, Christie said, is that it spoke to the "fearlessness and forthrightness with which those who are entrusted with the responsibility to lead the state's anti-corruption, law enforcement and prosecutorial institutions get their jobs done... without fuddling, without making excuses, and without fear and without favour".

Clearly this is a man who is very serious about serving his country and we are surprised to learn that there are detractors on both sides of the political divide who consider him high-handed and aggressive in the execution of his duties. Overzealous or not, we need Greg Christie and more like him, too, for as we've learned from the West Kingston Incursion, you can always justify the methods used to establish law and order in a country where criminal activity is rampant.

There are far too few Jamaicans willing to go the extra mile in trying to keep us honest, and we should celebrate Christie's courage, conviction and strength in executing the role he must play in rescuing, as he said three months ago, "our fair country from the scourge of corruption, which is now literally strangling Jamaica to death".

We should cheer Greg Christie on.

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