KINGSTON, Jamaica— Special Prosecutor of St Lucia, Robert Innocent has expressed admiration for the high standard of work of the Integrity Commission (IC) following a two-day visit at the IC offices on November 25 and 26.

Innocent, who wrote a formal report of his visit, which was submitted to the attorney general of St Lucia and shared with the Integrity Commission, praised the IC for its work and accomplishments during its short year of operation.

“I marveled at the amount of work accomplished and the quality of the results produced by the Commission. This, no doubt, is due to the high quality of the experience, skill, passion, and commitment of the directors of the statutory divisions and executive offices, under the prized expert leadership of the executive director and the august Board of Commissioners,” Innocent said in the report.

He also highlighted the role played by the Government of Jamaica in providing essential financial resources to support the Integrity Commission’s efforts to fight corruption.

The Integrity Commission said the purpose of Innocent’s visit was for the special prosecutor to gain first-hand insights into the operations of the Commission, its institutional and legislative frameworks, and its effectiveness in combating corruption. It further outlined that comprehensive briefings on the functions and operations of all of the Commission’s divisions and departments were facilitated, first in a plenary meeting, and then in break-out sessions with the executive director, directors and legal counsel of the Commission.

The visit also provided an opportunity for an open exchange of knowledge and best practices in the fight against corruption within the Caribbean, the IC said.

In his report, Innocent stated that the operations of Jamaica’s Integrity Commission can serve both as a template and a blueprint for Caribbean Community (Caricom) States who may contemplate anti-corruption legislation.

He further recommended that St Lucia’s Legislative Drafting Department review the Integrity Commission Act of Jamaica when considering future amendments to its own Special Prosecutor Act. Additionally, he encouraged Saint Lucia’s Integrity Commission to peruse the IC’s Annual Report for insights on enhancing its investigative capabilities and effectiveness.

Resources from the Integrity Commission were handed over to the special prosecutor including PowerPoint presentations of the operations of the Commission’s Information and Complaints Division, by its director, Craig Beresford, and of the Investigation Division, by its director, Kevon Stephenson, which Innocent expressed “will be very useful in assisting my office to chart and develop its own processes for receiving and investigating complaints of corruption.”

Innocent expressed gratitude to the Integrity Commission and its directors stating that “the experience, knowledge and inspiration I gained will be useful to me and my team in assisting us to effectively carry out our mandate under St Lucia’s Special Prosecutor Act.”