Christie expresses concern

at slowness of anti-corruption reform

Thursday, May 20, 2010

CONTRACTOR General Greg Christie yesterday expressed concern over the "slow pace at which meaningful and substantive reforms to the country's anti-corruption institutional framework" are taking place.

Christie made the statement against the background of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's address to the nation on Monday night, in which he apologised for sanctioning a decision by persons in his Jamaica Labour Party to engage the services of US law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to lobby the US government on the Christopher "Dudus" Coke extradition matter.

But the contractor general, who has been a stickler for propriety as it relates to Government's contractual engagement, yesterday said he had "once again taken hope" in Golding's undertaking Monday night to "stamp out corruption (in Jamaica) and to hold public officials to account".

According to Christie, though Golding in his inaugural address as the prime minister of Jamaica on September 11, 2007, had spoken specifically to "the priorities" of his Government and had named among them "transparency and accountability in government and the elimination of corruption", very little has happened in meaningful terms between then and now.

"It is, therefore, against this background, that I would respectfully make and or reiterate the following minimum recommendations, for urgent implementation by the Executive and Legislative arms of the State. I have chosen to do so publicly so that they are placed on the public record," Christie said.

Among the measures the contractor general advocated was the establishment of a single and adequately resourced national anti-corruption agency, encompassing the Integrity Commission, the Corruption Prevention Commission and the Commission of the Contractor General.

Christie said this agency should be vested with the independent legal authority to criminally investigate and prosecute all corruption and Government contract and licence related offences.

Furthermore he said the Government should either establish a special corruption court to adjudicate all of the foregoing offences, assign special magistrates or judges to adjudicate same; or give precedence in the courts to the adjudication of all such offences, save and except for capital and other serious offences.

Christie said pending the implementation of these two measures, the criminal sanctions for breaches of the Contractor General Act, the Corruption Prevention Act and the Government Procurement Rules should be immediately increased.

Pending those implementations, the contractor general called for more independence to the Office of the Contractor General by removing all decisions regarding its budgetary and resource allocations from the Ministry of Finance and giving this to a special bi-partisan commission of Parliament chaired by the parliamentary opposition.

He also reiterated a call made late last year for the amendment of the Government Procurement Rules to prohibit the award of Government contracts, above an established minimum value, to or through any private entity which fails or refuses to disclose full, sworn and certified particulars of its beneficial shareholders or owners when tendering.

"Make no mistake about it, corruption in Jamaica runs through the veins of both our public and private sectors. It has as some of its chief architects those among us who are regarded as being upstanding members of our society. If it is not decisively arrested, it will render fatal and fanciful any prospects which the Administration may otherwise have for taking Jamaica out of its third-world socio-economic quagmire," the contractor general emphasised.

He said the OCG was willing to "play its part in killing this monster" but could only do so much and no more until the "administration unambiguously and forthrightly demonstrates the political will to bring about the much needed institutional changes which will be needed to ensure that the country's corrupt and parasitic criminals are brought to book and placed behind bars".

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COMMENTS (10)

userfullname;
10/24/2010

Great post. Looking forward to the next one.

A. Croft
5/20/2010

"... country's corrupt and parasitic criminals are brought to book and placed behind bars".
Mr. Christie, as the Contractor General, you have displayed the quality of leadership that Jamaica needs and deserves.
Some say Jamaica is doomed but I disagree because I am sure there are others like you who are still there.
All good men need to come together and bring Jamaica the security and prosperity that it has the potential of achieveing.

A. Croft
5/20/2010

My comment was just intercepted. Sorry.

Petros Haile
5/20/2010

Well said Hotta Fire!

Nina Nais
5/20/2010

I completely support Mr. Christie's suggestions.
And I also suggest that one of the main consequences of corruption should be seizure of property and restraint from travel. All proceeds of corruption or any other form of crime should be seized for the public benefit. That would mean tracing bank deposits wherever in the world they end up, and confiscating the houses, motor vehicles, property of those found guilty of corruption. That means passing the Proceeds of Crime Act and cooperating with international banks, govts, and agencies..

L S
5/20/2010

The politicians already know all these things but are unwilling to make the changes because of their obsession with power and the under the table benefits of their position. They are not into it for the benefit of JA.
All the things that the PM hit out against while he was out of office are the very things that he is now accepting and giving support to.
Are they (JLP/PNP) willing to make the changes you suggest? We are going to have a very long wait!

Kweli Simba
5/20/2010

Mr Christie must be aware that there are six pieces of legislation stalled in the parliament that the opposition refuses to agree to or make any compromise. These are all anti-crime legislations. "establish a special corruption court to adjudicate all of the foregoing offences, assign special magistrates or judges to adjudicate same; or give precedence in the courts to the adjudication of all such offences, save and except for capital and other serious offences." This kind of measure will certainly stave off some of the interferences by elected officals in these matters. I hope the govt. will take warning and make every effort to move full speed ahead to make the country a safer place to live.

Authnel Reid
5/20/2010

Mr. Christie you are the sole voice crying out in the wilderness for change in the laws and for new legislation. I want to add to you list of needed reformPublic official and other person s convicted of corruption should be given the option PLEA Guilty to your crimes and you will -with the discretion of the Judge and prosecutor -be given a lighter sentence. Should you go to trial and is convicted you will serve a mandatory time of ten years in prison. If we had such a sentence guideline Kern Spence and his lawyers would not be frustrating the court system. The backlog now experienced in our court s will be far less. We should follow UNCLE SAM .Bernie Kerrick the Ex New York commissioner of police faced such a dilemma and he plead guilty and is now serving a lesser prison sentence.

John Smith
5/20/2010

Very smart measures, Mr Christie - and pertinent words. If people in the private sector were all upstanding citizens there would be hardly anything that could be identified as government corruption, because it is usually the collusion of public and private sector forces to channel resources unfairly to a particular entity. Christie for PM! LOL...

Hotta Fire
5/20/2010

Christie you also have to learn to decipher who you dealing with the PM of jamaica or the MP for west kgn. If you need help I am able to identify them differently. One speaks with arrogance, while the other quietly begs forgiveness.

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Christie expresses concern