OPPOSITION Leader Mark Golding is appealing to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen to resist any pressure to appoint politically connected individuals to the Integrity Commission (IC).

Golding made the appeal in light of the pending retirement of IC Chairman Justice (Retired) Seymour Panton later this month, and against repeated criticisms levelled at the IC and its commissioners by senior members of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

The Opposition leader, who is also president of the People’s National Party (PNP), was speaking on Sunday night at a party meeting in the St Andrew West Central constituency of Prime Minister Andrew Holness to present Paul Buchanan as the PNP standard-bearer in the upcoming general election.

Panton, who demits office on February 25, told the media he has not asked for any extension and said he would not accept an extension if it was offered.

Except for the auditor general, the term of office of the other commissioners, as well as the IC’s Executive Director Greg Christie, expire between May and July this year.

Golding is watching the development against the background of the repeated attacks on the IC by members of the Government and with the IC’s ongoing probe into the so-called illicit eight, a group of parliamentarians being investigated for illicit enrichment. Golding insists there are no PNP parliamentarians under probe.

He told the PNP meeting on Sunday that illicit enrichment speaks to “the acquisition of assets way beyond your income and you can’t show any lawful means by which you have acquired those assets. It is a criminal offence”.

He took a swipe at the prime minister, declaring him to be the “first one” under an illicit enrichment probe. That probe was confirmed by the IC in a special investigation report that was made public in September 2024.

“The Integrity Commission said because he failed to provide them with information they needed they couldn’t complete their investigation and the matter should be referred to the Financial Investigations Division… the entity in Jamaica which investigates financial crimes, and to Tax Administration Jamaica,” Golding stated.

According to the Opposition leader, “while all that was going on the Labourites were getting very jumpy… and they start to attack the institution itself, the Integrity Commission, established under legislation that they passed”.

Pointing out that the legislation governing the Integrity Commission Act states that the commissioners, excluding the auditor general, are appointed by the governor general, Golding said, “I say to the governor general, ‘Your Excellency, do the right thing. We know some vacancies are coming up, make sure that no political hacks, no strongly politically affiliated people are appointed commissioners of the Integrity Commission”.

“That institution needs to be protected, and we know that eight of these MPs [who are under illicit enrichment] are likely to be Labourites,” he added.

Referring to a statement in the media supposedly made by a member of the JLP that the party was approaching the pending appointments strategically, Golding said, “There’s no strategy involved in this. All that matters is that reputable, competent, independent persons are appointed who have no axe to grind other than to get to the truth, and to uphold the institution, and to try and rid Jamaica of the scourge of corruption.

“So I say to the Labourites, take your grubby hands off the Integrity Commission, and stop interfering with that institution and let it do its work,” he declared.

St Andrew West Central has been Holness’s domain since 1997 when he first won the seat. He has won every election since.