(Trinidad Express) Dr Eric St Cyr has tendered his resignation as chairman of the Integrity Commission and President George Maxwell Richards has accepted it.
A release from the Office of the President stated yesterday that St Cyr, in a letter dated October 11, 2011, tendered his resignation, which was accepted by Richards
“In accordance with Section II, subsections 6 (1) and (2) of the Integrity in Public Life Act No.83 of 2000, amended by 88 of 2000, the resignation of Dr St Cyr took effect immediately. His Excellency wishes to thank Dr St Cyr for having accepted the offer to serve and for the contribution made during his tenure of almost nineteen months,” stated the release.
Section 28 of the Integrity in Public Life Act states: Matters of a confidential nature in the possession of persons to whom this Part applies shall be kept confidential unless the performance of duty or the needs of justice strictly require otherwise, and shall remain confidential even after separation from service”.
Yesterday, the person over whom the latest St Cyr controversy arose, Jearlean John, chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), said that the resignation of St Cyr was not enough.
She said he must be investigated to determine whether he is guilty of misbehaving in public office and breaching the Integrity in Public Life Act when he confirmed that she (John) was under probe before informing her of such.
On October 1, the Express reported exclusively St Cyr’s confirmation that John was under investigation.
St Cyr’s resignation comes nine days after John, also the managing director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), called on him to do so via a letter to the Integrity Commission through her attorney, Gerard Ramdeen.
Sources close to the Integrity Commission told the Express that on Monday the commission met and the matter was raised.
Sources said St Cyr was asked why he informed the press of the investigation when no notification was sent to John herself.
Commissioners, according to sources, were dissatisfied with St Cyr’s explanation that he was caught off guard by the reporter.
Sources told the Express that, at Monday’s meeting, St Cyr felt he had done no wrong.
Sources said members of the commission openly criticised St Cyr, telling him John was placed in an unfair position by his comments.
“The wrong that was committed is that he broke the oath of secrecy. He informed the media of an investigation even before the subject was informed,” said a source.
“It would be difficult for him to stay on given the fact that members expressed no confidence in him,” the source added.
The remaining members of the commission are deputy chairman, retired judge Gladys Gafoor; retired chief executive officer Neil Rolingson, social scientist Dr Ann-Marie Bissessar and accountant Seunarine Jokhoo. Bissessar was absent from the meeting.
John yesterday maintained her innocence.
“If indeed there is misbehaviour in public office, I am calling on the authorities to investigate him, do what must be done, examine the minutes of meetings. You can’t say he has resigned and that is the end of it, these are the judges of our character…by being careless with my integrity he did me great disservice,” said John.
John also called on the Integrity Commission to quickly deal with her matter. She was referring to the commission’s official correspondence to her on October 3 that she was under probe.
The letter did not specify the nature of the probe.
Once again the President is placed in the position of having to hunt for another Integrity Commission chairman. St Cyr is the third chairman to resign in just over two years.
In 2009 all members of the Integrity Commission which was led by former chairman Gordon Deane resigned after the courts ruled that the commission was wrong when it failed to give Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley an opportunity to be heard in a matter against him which was forwarded to the DPP.
Later in 2009, the entire new Integrity Commission collapsed after former chairman father Henry Charles confessed that he was guilty of plagiarism.
The Express tried contacting St Cyr yesterday for comment yesterday but was told he was not at home.
