FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2022 | INTEGRITY COMMISSION 2022 FEATURE 3 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTEGRITY COMMISSION | Mr. Greg Christie CHIEF TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION | Mr. Selvin Hay, OD As we commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) theme for 2022 “Uniting the World Against Corruption” is both timely and relevant. The scourge of corruption is one which must be removed from the fabric of any democratic society. As Jamaica advances towards Vision 2030, a robust, effective anti-corruption agenda is a critical component in achieving the objectives of this national imperative. If it is allowed to operate unchecked or facilitated by our national institutions, the consequences to country can be grave and, quite possibly, irreparable. A collaborative approach is required; a well-coordinated effort among all key stakeholders, particularly anti-corruption agencies such as the Integrity Commission and the FID. In December 2021 the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and the Integrity Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening both organisations’ response to, among other things, corruption, money laundering, organised crime, fraud and financial crime. It signalled to the country that wherever acts of corruption are, the country’s law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies are ready to act. As we recognise International Anti-Corruption Day we reaffirm our commitment to fully support the anti-corruption fight and call on all stakeholders to join in promoting accountability and good governance. The Corruption Prevention, Stakeholder Engagement and AntiCorruption Strategy Division of the Integrity Commission of Jamaica stands in solidarity with the local and international community in commemorating International Anti-Corruption Day under the theme “UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption.” Whilst the use of detection, investigative and prosecutorial tools in fighting corruption has been well established, another tool that is being engaged on a more proactive and aggressive scale is that of preventive measures aimed at tackling corruption. It is for this reason that the Corruption Prevention, Stakeholder Engagement and Anti-Corruption Strategy Division was established to address the matter of corruption and anticorruption reform at the preventative level. In this regard the work of the Division has been largely focused on rolling out its public education campaign through our Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Workshops and Presentations and wherein we have delivered training and sensitization sessions to a range of public bodies and imparted critical information about the Commission’s statutory mandates, powers and enforcement functions, and Jamaica’s anticorruption laws. At a policy level the development of a national anticorruption strategy for Jamaica has been placed on the front burner and efforts in this regard will be accelerated in the next calendar year. As the UNCAC enters its 20th year of existence we continue to hope that the concerted efforts by all stakeholders to tackle corruption at all levels within the global community will continue unabated as it is only through combined partnerships, political will and determined efforts that the scourge of corruption can be tackled. As Jamaica continues to make strides in the fight against corruption, closer collaboration between the various agencies and partners who are key stakeholders in this fight, remains of paramount importance. With this imperative in mind, it is heartening to note that an ethos of collaborative action defines and underpins the investigative effort of the various local agencies; including the Integrity Commission, Financial Investigations Division, Revenue Protection Division and of course MOCA. As is evident in the formal signing of a number of MOUs between us, the spirit of partnership, collaboration and mutual support is well and truly alive among local law enforcement agencies. Recognizing however that the fight against corruption is not ours alone, MOCA has partnered with Crime Stop to create Jamaica’s first dedicated anti-corruption Tip Line, 888-MOCA-TIP, in an effort to empower and encourage our citizens to now join the fight. 888-MOCA-TIP provides a dedicated, anonymous channel for all Jamaicans to play their part in tackling corruption, as part of a truly whole-of-country effort. For us here at MOCA, we are committed to continuing to leverage our competencies and strengths to make this collaboration even more effective, as we move to create a Jamaica where corruption is no longer acceptable nor tolerated. DIRECTOR, CORRUPTION PREVENTION, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT & ANTICORRUPTION STRATEGY, INTEGRITY COMMISSION | Mr. Ryan Evans DIRECTOR GENERAL, MAJOR ORGANISED CRIME & ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCY (MOCA) | Colonel Desmond Edwards Today, the Integrity Commission of Jamaica is pleased to join hundreds of international, state and civil society organizations around the world, in commemorating International Anti-Corruption Day 2022, under the theme “UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption.” International Anti-Corruption Day has been observed, on December 9, every year since the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) was formally adopted on October 31, 2003. As at November 2021, 181 countries were parties to the Convention. On the occasion of UNCAC’s adoption in 2003, the then Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, said that “UNCAC sends a clear message that the international community is determined to prevent and control corruption. It warns the corrupt that betrayal of the public trust will no longer be tolerated.” Sadly, however, and almost 20 years after, the world continues to grapple with the scourge of this deadly cancer. Here, at home, and despite ratifying UNCAC onMarch5, 2008, and the 1996 Inter-American Convention Against Corruption on March 16, 2001, Jamaica is still being obstructed by this malady that some have characterized as a crime against humanity. Three recent Statements of Concern, from three authoritative sources, about the magnitude of Jamaica’s corruption problem, are instructive. They underscore the suggestion that Jamaica may have already descended into the far end of the abyss and risks going beyond the point from which there may be no return, should we fail to take prompt and effective corrective action. THE FIRST STATEMENT OF CONCERN On December 1, 2022, the President of Jamaica’s Private Sector Organization (PSOJ), Mr. Keith Duncan, said that “Jamaica has a serious corruption problem,” and that “more than 85% of Jamaicans believe that both our political parties are corrupt, and we seem to have normalized” it. Some of his troubling comments were published the next day, on December 2, 2022, in Jamaica’s leading newspaper, the Jamaica Gleaner. In an article that was headlined “PSOJ: Corruption continues to hinder economic progress,” this was what was reported: “PSOJ President Keith Duncan has said that corruption and other crimes continue to be an Achilles heel for the country, preventing it from realizing its true potential.” The Gleaner further quoted him as saying that crime and corruption, by some estimates, were costing the Jamaican economy “about $100 to $200 billion per year.” Very importantly, the Private Sector Leader also acknowledged that Jamaica’s Private Sector was complicit in corruption. THE SECOND STATEMENT OF CONCERN The second Statement of Concern, which preceded Mr. Duncan’s assessment of Jamaica’s corruption problem, was the U.S. State Department’s July 28, 2022 Investment Climate Statement on Jamaica. The Statement said that “corruption, and its apparent linkages with organized crime, appear to be one of the root causes of Jamaica’s high crime rate and economic stagnation.” The Statement needs no further elaboration except to note that Jamaica recorded the highest murder rate in the entire Americas in both 2020 and 2021, and appears set to exceed its own rates in 2022; and that in 2019 it was ranked as high as #7 in the world, out of 141 countries, on the problem of organized crime. THE THIRD STATEMENT OF CONCERN Finally, and in the third Statement of Concern, Transparency International (TI), on January 25, 2022, in its 2021 Global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Report, singled out Jamaica’s “politicians” for their perceived “significant resistance to (anti-corruption) reform.” TI’s damning comments about Jamaica, were also cast against the country’s 2021 CPI of 44, and a 20-year CPI average of only 37.8, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100, clean. According to TI, Jamaica’s current CPI signals prevalent bribery, lack of punishment for corruption, and public institutions that do not respond to citizens’ needs. The international community is not unmindful of the refusal or failure of some sovereign governments, lawmakers and leaders to take decisive action against corruption within their territorial borders. The community is particularly attuned to the deleterious consequences that this poses for the socio-economic fortunes of citizens, as well as what it portends for the worsening of global issues of concern, such as organized crime, money-laundering and terrorism, should there be no appropriate response. Indeed, these were among the very triggers that gave rise to UNCAC in 2003. The concerns are now even more farreaching. As recently as November 28, 2022, for example, the Netherlands, Canada and Ecuador joined an increasing coalition of nations that is backing the call for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Criminal Court, to bring perceived corrupt government leaders and top public officials around the world to book. The Court would operate along lines that are similar to that of the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC). Some countries are also aggressively using their foreign anti-corruption laws, spurred by the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (ABC), or the imposition of sanctions, and travel bans, to hold to account non-compliant sovereign leaders. Leaders who are perceived to be enabling or exhibiting corrupt behavior, stealing public money, violating human rights, committing other crimes, or otherwise abusing their public office, but who enjoy impunity in their countries because of ineffective institutions, weak rule of law, or their control over the state apparatus, are being targeted. Jamaica, which unfortunately has now been classified internationally as a country whose “politicians” are seen to be putting up “significant resistance to (anti-corruption) reform,” should take note. We are under the spotlight and should give serious consideration to the growing concerns about the issue of corruption, and dispel the notion of what some may see as paying lip-service to the problem. Jamaica’s leaders, lawmakers, and anticorruption and law enforcement institutions, must all urgently take a stock of what needs to be done. The Integrity Commission understands the issue, as well as the concerns, and is working assiduously to ensure that it meets the expectations of Jamaicans, despite any challenges that it may face. Collectively, we must all send, not only to Jamaicans but to the global community of nations at large, unmistakable signals that we are serious about tackling and overcoming the scourge of corruption which is now a clear and present danger to the Jamaican state.
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