Dear Editor,

I am writing to bring to your attention a factual inaccuracy in the news article titled ‘No improvement in Jamaica’s corruption perception rating’, published in the February 1, 2024 edition, page 10.

In the opening paragraph of the article, it is stated that the “Commissioners of the Integrity Commission (IC) say the executive’s failure to close gaps in the governance framework weakens the pursuit of corruption cases involving organised crime, and fosters impunity of high-level corrupt elites.”

This is an incorrect statement. The IC’s media release issued on Tuesday, January 30 made no such claim and provided excerpts from 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. Neither did the IC nor the commissioners comment on the report.

The article has mis-attributed the comment to the IC when, in fact, it was an observation made by Transparency International in its 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) Report. The IC’s media release accurately reflected this information.

The link to TI’s statement is this:
https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2023-americas-lack-independent-judiciary-hinders-fight-against-corruption

I kindly request that you rectify this error in your publication, as inaccuracies can potentially mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of the IC. Providing correct information is crucial for fostering transparency and accountability.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and trust that you will take the steps to address this misstatement as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Gillian A Haughton

Communications officer

Integrity Commission