KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Angela Brown Burke, has criticised the Government’s handling of financial oversight and institutional integrity, warning that Jamaica’s global credibility is at stake.

In her Sectoral Debate presentation to Parliament on Tuesday, Brown Burke accused the Government of creating a climate of impunity and political interference, citing breaches of the Companies Act and the controversial appointment of a new head of the Financial Investigations Division (FID).

Brown Burke pointed to the 2023 amendment to the Companies Act, which mandates the disclosure of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs), as a critical component of Jamaica’s anti-money laundering framework. She said the reported breach of this law by a sitting Government Member of Parliament signals “a culture of impunity that has taken root.”

The Opposition spokesperson also raised alarm over the recent appointment of what she described as an “unqualified and politically biased individual” to lead the FID, the agency responsible for probing financial crimes, including allegations of illicit enrichment involving the prime minister.

“This is more than a conflict of interest,” she said. “It is a deliberate attempt to compromise the very institution meant to protect Jamaica’s financial integrity.”

She warned that the risks are not theoretical. Brown Burke referenced previous statements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, who acknowledged the grave consequences of being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), including the loss of correspondent banking relationships and restricted access to international trade and financing.

“That catastrophe is no longer hypothetical,” she said. “It is now a real and present danger caused not by external shocks, but by the recklessness and arrogance of this administration.”

The Opposition is demanding a full and transparent investigation into the MP’s alleged breach of the Companies Act and the immediate reversal of the FID appointment.

Brown Burke also appealed to international partners, including Caricom, the Commonwealth, the United Nations, and global financial watchdogs like the FATF, to monitor the situation closely.

“Jamaica has built a proud legacy as a principled and democratic state,” she said. “We urge our international partners to remain vigilant and ensure that our country is not made to pay the price for political expediency. The people of Jamaica deserve better.”