Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Tuesday expressed concern that he’s being targeted by the Integrity Commission (IC), saying that he has no link to a property which is the subject of the agency’s latest investigation report to Parliament.

Holness made the claim in a statement after the IC, in its report tabled in Parliament earlier, said it had concluded that he was connected to a development at 2 Weycliffe Close, Beverly Hills, St Andrew, where building breaches had been uncovered.

“Having read the report of the Integrity Commission, I am concerned that I am being targeted,” the prime minister said.

“Firstly, I am not a director of the company which is the subject of the report, and I am not a shareholder in the company, nor do I own the property in question. Therefore, it is a puzzle to me why I am a subject of this report,” he added.

In its report, the IC said its investigation found that the residential development, which is still under construction, is being constructed contrary to the terms of the planning approval and building permit issued by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) on July 12, 2021.

The development is owned by Estatebridge Holdings Limited, which has as its directors the prime minister’s son, Adam; as well as Norman Brown, a business partner of the prime minister who is also chairman of the Urban Development Corporation; and Sydjea Anderson.

The commission said its director of investigation’s conclusion is premised on the fact that, at the time of his first inspection, the development consisted of four four-bedroom townhouses instead of four two-bedroom townhouses, as approved by the KSAMC.

The commission also said that it came to the conclusion that the breaches were deliberate because Brown had knowledge prior to December 4, 2023, when he gave a statement to the IC that the development consisted of four four-bedroom townhouses.

Additionally, the IC said it found Kennado Nesbeth, of KNN Designs and Consultants Limited, liable for the breach as his company was “party to a construction contract with Estatebridge which requires him, as contractor, to construct the development in accordance with the building permit”.

The commission also concluded that the KSAMC failed in its duty to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the building permit. But the agency said it has not referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, choosing instead to recommend that the report be referred to the KSAMC for appropriate action.

However, in his response, the prime minister, who last week received court approval to seek judicial review of the IC’s report of his statutory declarations for 2021 and 2022, said it seems more than coincidence that this report was submitted to Parliament a few days before the delivery of the judgment in the matter for which he is seeking judicial review.

“The fact that a statutory entity would exercise its powers in such a manner is troubling,” Holness said.

“This transparent attempt to attack my reputation will not deter me from serving Jamaica. Despite the commission having not made conclusions or findings about me in the report which was tabled in the House of Representatives on December 10, 2024, I have asked my lawyers to review the report and provide further advice,” he added.

He said he was informed that the development has been inspected by the KSAMC, which has confirmed that the number of rooms approved are the number of rooms constructed.

“Based upon the report, it is of grave concern that the investigators would ignore the statements given by the KSAMC, which is the competent authority, that they observed the development to be in structural conformity with the approved plan. It is also of concern that the investigators ignored the statements of the persons involved that explained the works being undertaken, and went on to draw conclusions on construction work that was in progress,” he added.

The IC report was also taken to task by the directors of Estatebridge, who said they categorically reject the finding.

“The development was the subject of several inspections by the KSAMC, which is the competent authority in law to determine room count and compliance. At no time did the KSAMC observe a breach in the room count. From the most recent inspection it was confirmed by the KSAMC that the units consisted of two bedrooms. Variations in size of areas, and reconfiguration of layout, which normally occur during construction and does not materially change the building footprint, were noted and the necessary application is in process,” the Estatebridge directors said in a statement.

“For context, the development is still under construction. At the time of both unannounced visits of the Integrity Commission, they observed significant work being done to correct plumbing and other issues which involved the digging of walls and slabs to identify and reroute pipes. No valid conclusion could be drawn regarding rooms without observing final structural walls and the installation of doors and other amenities,” the directors said.

They also said that the submission of the report to Parliament was timed to coincide with Brown’s application for judicial review in the Supreme Court to challenge adverse comments and findings concerning himself and Estatebridge in another report of the IC.

“This is yet another attempt to damage the reputation of the principals of the company, relying on hearsay, misrepresentation of facts, and spurious conclusions. The principals are law-abiding citizens who give yeoman service to Jamaica and will not be deterred by baseless allegations and bureaucratic overreach of an organisation that is not the competent authority,” the directors said.