KINGSTON, Jamaica — Cabinet Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley is rejecting as “patently false, inaccurate and grossly misleading” a claim by the Integrity Commission (IC) that there was a $164 million disproportionality in his assets versus his lawful earnings over a nine year period.

Wheatley, the minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for science, technology and special projects, in his defence has cited $168 million in rental income which he says has been ignored.

“I strongly and categorically reject as patently false, grossly misleading and inaccurate the allegations by the Director of Investigations,” Wheatley said in a statement to the media following the tabling in Parliament of the IC report, which included the allegations, on Wednesday,

“I intend to read the report in full but from a cursory review subsequent to its tabling this afternoon, I must indicate that it is odd, unreasonable and unfair that in arriving at his conclusion, the Director of Investigations clearly decided not to take into account approximately 168-million in rental income which I lawfully accumulated and declared over the nine years,” added Wheatley, who is also the Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central.

In the report, which examined Wheatley’s statutory declarations between 2010 and 2022, the Integrity Commission recommended that he be charged with illicit enrichment, among other offences.

READ: IC: Charge Wheatley with illicit enrichment

Investigators allegedly found that Wheatley acquired or owned assets between 2013 and 2022 that could not be reconciled with his known lawful sources of income, with an unexplained disparity of approximately $164 million.

Wheatley said he also found it “unreasonable, unfair and unfortunate” that the director of investigations came to the conclusions he did, despite what the MP says is a lack of credible evidence.

“Surprisingly, the Director of Investigation also failed to take into consideration the lawful and verifiable payment sources utilised in respect of the re-payment of approximately $50 million in loans obtained from financial institutions in the pursuit of my real estate business,” Wheatley said. “This facilitated the Director of Investigations being able to arrive at the allegation of illicit enrichment of $164 million over the 9 nine years.”

Wheatley said the Integrity Commission was provided with copies of the lease agreements and bank account documentation showing the deposit of rental income regarding the $168 million of rental income, which he maintains he lawfully earned over the nine years.

“If he required further evidence that this money was lawful rental income, he could have but did not request, what further evidence he required. In arriving at conclusions without first seeking further evidence, I find it to be unreasonable and unfair especially as I was cooperating with the investigation,” the MP said.

Wheatley said the recommendation for a charge of illicit enrichment, along with the other charges, will be vigorously contested in the court-of-law.

“I am in a position to provide supporting evidence that I have lawfully acquired every dollar and every asset that I own. I intend to defend my reputation via the Court and am confident of a positive outcome,” he said.

Concerning an allegation by the Integrity Commission that he was the recipient of six apartments which were declared to the Commission as gifts, Wheatley stated: “I entered into a joint venture which involved the purchase of land for development purposes. The initial arrangement with my business partner was to split ownership of the development along the lines of a 50/50 ratio. I was unable to meet my obligations, and consequently, the arrangement was adjusted to a 70 to 30 allocation.”

Wheatley continued, “I managed the construction and negotiated credit. My 30 per cent share of the development would amount to the proceeds of sale of six units. Instead of taking value in cash, I chose to have properties transferred to me.”

Noting that the attorneys-at-law handling the joint venture prepared the transfer, indicating it was by way of a gift, the MP said: “The Director of Investigations is apparently not aware that, in the real estate industry, such a transaction is not an unusual commercial arrangement which developers may lawfully enter into.”

Stressing that no allegation has been made by the commission concerning his benefiting unlawfully from public funds, Wheatley said he has instructed his attorneys to “vigorously contest the inaccurate conclusions of the Integrity Commission.”

“I wish to assure this House and my fellow countrymen and women, that I am in a position to provide supporting evidence that I have lawfully acquired every dollar and every asset that I own,” he stressed.