HATFIELD, Manchester — Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips says investigation into six of the country’s parliamentarians being probed for illicit enrichment by the Integrity Commission should be prioritised and completed urgently to “to rid the country of those individuals”.

The revelation of the parliamentarians being investigated was made last month during the tabling of the commission’s annual report for the 2022/23 reporting period in the House of Representatives.

The six have allegedly breached Sections 14 (5) (a) of the Corruption Prevention Act. According to the provision, illicit enrichment happens where a public servant owns assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings; and upon being requested by the commission or any person duly authorised to investigate an allegation of corruption against him, to provide an explanation as to how he came by such assets, he fails to do so; or gives an explanation which is not considered to be satisfactory.

In such a scenario, an individual shall be liable to prosecution for the offence of illicit enrichment.

According to the law, it shall be a defence to a person charged with an offence of illicit enrichment to show the court that he came by the assets by lawful means.

Phillips suggested that if any member of the Opposition is among those under probe and is guilty, they should be removed from the People’s National Party (PNP).

“The six parliamentarians [who] the Integrity Commission say are being investigated for illicit enrichment, I will say this if they are any PNP MPs that are in it then let the law take its course, because we wouldn’t want them in the PNP, but I know because I see the Integrity Commission say all six have been notified,” Phillips said while addressing the party’s Manchester North Western constituency conference on Saturday in Hatfield.

He accused the Jamaica Labour Party-led Government of corruption.

“And alright they say you are innocent until proven guilty. Investigation has to [happen], but is long time people know who has part of this corrupt Government, but it is not good for governance that when the highest court in the land, the Parliament of Jamaica, when parliamentarians can be pointed out in an integrity report for illicit enrichment, it has carried the country to a low point,” said Phillips.

“Whoever they are, I hope the investigation happens and ends quickly, because we need to rid the country of those individuals. They should not be in the Parliament of Jamaica,” he added.