The released details of an Integrity Commission (IC) report submitted to Parliament, but not yet tabled, have sparked concern inside the commission and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) while the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has said it is concerned about a general breach of the secrecy which should surround the anti-corruption agency.

On Monday, Nationwide News Network reported details of what it said was an IC ruling relating to Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his annual statutory declaration.

On Tuesday the IC, in a media release, reiterated that on September 5 it submitted an investigation report, ruling, and special report to Parliament.

“That report, ruling, and special report have not yet been tabled. Since the submission to Parliament there has, however, been extensive public commentary in relation to the purported contents of the report and ruling,” said the IC.

The commission pointed out that it is a breach of Section 53 (3) of the Integrity Commission Act to report or make any public statement on an un-tabled investigation report.

It pointed to Section 53 (3) of the legislation which reads: “Until the tabling in Parliament of a report under Section 36, all matters under investigation by the director of investigation or any other person involved in such an investigation shall be kept confidential, and no report or public statement shall be made by the commission or any other person in relation to the initiation or conduct of an investigation under this Act.”

According to the IC, it is committed to fair and accurate reporting of facts and has no agenda to suit any individual or entity.

The commission said it has not divulged and will never, in any way, divulge information that is contrary to the requirements of the law.

“The Integrity Commission is committed to transparency, Jamaica, and the rule of law,” said IC as it urged the public to await Parliament’s tabling of all reports, inclusive [of] the report in question. “When the commission’s reports are tabled it is hoped that they will be read and digested in their entirety,” added the IC.

In the meantime, the PNP said, “It is both alarming and unacceptable that, after years of careful investigation by the Integrity Commission, this report has been leaked to media entities aligned with the Jamaica Labour Party before it has been presented in Parliament. This breach of confidentiality erodes public confidence and compromises the integrity of our democratic processes.”

According to the PNP, it is calling on Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness to take immediate action by convening Parliament and ensuring that the Integrity Commission report is tabled in full.

“The Jamaican people must not be subjected to selective leaks or manipulated narratives. They deserve full transparency and accountability,” said the PNP.

For his part, Prime Minister Holness told a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday that he was also concerned about the leaking of IC reports before they are tabled in Parliament, and questioned if the Opposition had been a beneficiary of these leaks.

“I am concerned about leaks, very much so, concerned to the point where members of the Opposition could say with definitive certainty when the report was going to be tabled and what was the content of the report… and that was even before the report reached Parliament,” said Holness.

Last month, PNP spokesman on finance Julian Robinson told a meeting of the party’s women’s movement that the Government will be forced to call a general election this year to deal with the backlash he said will follow the revelation of the identities of the eight parliamentarians who are under probe for illicit enrichment.

“In two weeks’ time, on September 4th, the Jamaica Labour Party will start its fifth year in Government. In my own analysis we will have an election this year. I will explain why I believe so. There are eight Labourites under investigation for illicit enrichment, ooonuh know what that mean? We have never in the history of this country, or in any democracy anywhere in the world, you could have a prime minister going three years and him integrity report cyaan clear. Never!

“Parliament deh pon a break now; wi a go back inna September. Mi expect one or two a dem report deh fi come, and when dem come, bangarang a go come to — so wi need to be ready,” Robinson told an appreciative crowd.