KINGSTON, Jamaica— Senate President, Tom Tavares Finson, says it would be appropriate for the Integrity Commission (IC) to present a statement of correction following its annual report, which appeared to, without credible basis, accuse the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) of treating negligently its probe of the shooting of a senior Director of the Commission, Ryan Evans.

“One of its (the commission’s) directors was shot and robbed. That crime remains unsolved. I imagine that investigations are taking place. However, neither the director nor the commission has received any update since the incident. The police ought to be very concerned that this happened in the New Kingston business district where there are no zinc fences, no bushes, and very few side roads, yet the perpetrator was able to disappear without trace in the clear morning light,” Integrity Commission chairman, Retired Justice Seymour Panton remarked in the annual report.

READ: IC chairman criticises police over lack of update on director’s attack

But Deputy Police Commissioner of Police in Charge of Crime Fitz Bailey rejected the suggestion made by Panton who had also criticised the police for not updating the commission on its probe.

DCP Bailey pointed out that the investigation by the police hit a snag because for just under a year, Evans refused to sign a witness statement. DCP Bailey disclosed that the police had also communicated with senior officials at the commission about its investigation.

Bailey also revealed that the JCF is theorising that robbery was the motive for the attack as Evans was targeted because he regularly withdrew large sums of cash at a particular time.

Senator Tavares Finson said he was initially concerned about Panton’s comments. The Senate president suggested in the Upper House on Friday that the Integrity Commission chairman might have been in the dark when he made the comment.

“It is clear to me or rather I suspect that Mr Justice Panton could not have been aware of the present situation when he wrote this paragraph which suggested that the police were negligent in their duties. I expect that the Integrity Commission will therefore provide for the record of the parliament an addendum as it relates to this particular incident because the comment by Mr Justice Panton casts a shadow on the investigation by the police officers,” President Tavares-Finson commented.

Evans was shot and injured in September last year. His briefcase with over $700,000 in cash was stolen inside the New Kingston Corporate Car Park on St Lucia Avenue. Evans’ injury was not life threatening.

Earlier this week, Evans indicated that he delayed signing the statement out of fear.

The police has confirmed that the Integrity Commission director inked the statement earlier this week following DCP Bailey’s comments.