KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday rejected online allegations citing improper use of hurricane relief funds and warned social media users propagating the “careless talk” to desist.

“Some of them who are saying these things are people who know better, and they mislead the people. So let me be clear in this Parliament, that this government will manage this disaster without any form of corruption, misdirection, maladministration, malfeasance, or misfeasance. We are going to manage this disaster with the highest level of probity, integrity and accountability,” Holness swore in Parliament on Tuesday.

He chided social media users who he said were farming the rumours.

“For the people who are saying it and gaining influence on persons who don’t understand, it is dangerous because, you know, there is a public that believes that somehow we sit here and we are trying to somehow take away money that has come for the relief of the people,” he said.

Describing the misuse of hurricane relief funds as morally reprehensible, the prime minister said he would personally uncover any such behaviour.

“It would be morally reprehensible for anyone to be using any government resources in any way that has been given or borrowed for relief or any other action to mitigate the damage of this hurricane for any personal or private gain. And if there is any such thing happening, I don’t have to wait for any other entity to ferret it out or find it. I will find it myself,” Holness said.

Holness maintained that despite rumours and misinformation on social media, the country’s international standing has not been impacted.

“I don’t have to say it about myself.  The international officers who come here representing the international agencies, they go and I don’t ask them to, they go and say it publicly; direct contradiction of the nonsense that some people are saying. So I know that it hasn’t done any damage at that level, because they know, they see, they understand, they know the systems in place and they know what would have happened in other countries. And they have confidence in the government,” he said.

Holness said the transparent management of the resources was necessary because the scale of support needed from the international community could only be received if the international community is confident in Jamaica’s institutional framework.

He also pointed to other major disasters that his administration has handled in the last couple of years, including Hurricane Beryl and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the entire administration of the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic, where the government of Jamaica executed the largest social protection programme in the history of Jamaica, there wasn’t even one question of misappropriation of funds. So I want to be clear, Mr Speaker, that those persons who wish to tarnish me, tarnish the government, you’re tarnishing Jamaica with a lie,” Holness said.