THE Integrity Commission (IC) report into the financial affairs of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, which was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, has triggered the predictable bitter quarrel between the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

In its report, the commission concluded that it had no evidence to conclude illicit enrichment by Holness but was still short of information to certify his statutory declarations and suggested that financial transactions involving three companies linked to the prime minister should be subject to further investigations by the Financial Investigations Division (FID), Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), and the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

In an early morning statement on Wednesday, the PNP said it was still reviewing the full report of the IC with its legal team and officers “to ensure that we fully understand the implications of this investigation. After carefully analysing the details, we will address the Jamaican people more substantially and comprehensively”.

But even before that review is done, the Opposition indicated that it is deeply disturbed and appalled by the revelations outlined in the report and called for Holness to leave office immediately.

“Jamaica now finds itself in an unprecedented situation, where its head of Government is embroiled in a prolonged and unresolved integrity investigation. The State apparatus is investigating its own prime minister. Despite his reassurances in Parliament, Mr Holness is clearly distracted by the fight to clear his name. This battle, being waged from the highest office in the land, is undermining our democratic system and eroding public confidence in the Government,” said the PNP.

“The Office of the Prime Minister must be a beacon of integrity, not a place to shield oneself from scrutiny. Mr Holness’s ongoing rearguard action to remain in power under a cloud of suspicion is unacceptable. We call on him to do the right thing and step down immediately. His continued presence in office is a disservice to the Jamaican people and our democratic system.

“The prime minister must act in the best interest of the nation and leave office to preserve the dignity of Jamaica’s democracy,” added the PNP.

But, in an immediate response, the JLP declared that Holness, Jamaica’s prime minister for the past eight years, is going nowhere.

“I understand that the PNP, out of desperation, wants to see the back of the most positively consequential prime minister that Jamaica has seen in recent times, who has skilfully led our country through multiple crises and has not been implicated in unbecoming or unlawful conduct,” said JLP spokeswoman Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn.

“I expect some PNP-affiliated groups, which position themselves as civil society, to shortly echo the call of the PNP. However, the position taken by the PNP is desperate, baseless and without merit. It is important to note that, unlike some individuals in the PNP, the prime minister does not hide his assets in trust funds,” added Cuthbert-Flynn.

She argued that the IC’s report on which the PNP premised its call had found the prime minister culpable of no wrongdoing.

“In fact, the director of corruption prosecution was clear in suggesting that the prime minister’s explanation is credible and therefore prosecution is unwarranted,” said Cuthbert-Flynn.

In its release the PNP had charged that Holness had deliberately misled the country and Parliament when he failed to disclose that he was under investigation by the IC for illicit enrichment.

The PNP added that the decision by the IC to call for the financial transactions involving companies linked to Holness to be further probed suggests that the matter is far from over.

“The FID is a law enforcement body that investigates financial crimes, and this referral could unearth even more damaging information as investigations continue.

“The report also points to serious tax irregularities on the part of Mr Holness’s companies and recommends that these issues be referred to the Commissioner General of Tax Administration Jamaica. This further compounds the untenable situation that faces the prime minister,” charged the PNP.

In rubbishing that claim, Cuthbert-Flynn pointed to a 2010 report by then Contractor General Greg Christie in which he described as “irregular and highly improper” the execution of a contract in 2004 between the then PNP Government and investment firm Dehring, Bunting and Golding (DB&G) for the sale of receivables before a formal written agreement was finalised.

At that time, Christie said he was unable to conclusively determine that the transaction was fair, transparent and/or indicative of the most beneficial terms and conditions which could have been derived by the Government, given the lack of competition.

According to Cuthbert-Flynn, given the findings of the OCG probe into DB&G, whose principals included current Opposition Leader Mark Golding and Opposition Senator Peter Bunting, they are the ones who should immediately demit their posts.

“Bunting and Golding’s current posture confirms they should never have been allowed near leadership positions which were assumed by virtue of them being members of a party which claims to take itself seriously but has become an organisation of gimmicks and expediency,” said Cuthbert-Flynn.