(Trinidad Express) The Integrity Commission has revealed that in 2022 it served court orders on hundreds of public officials for failing to declare their assets, forcing a majority to speedily comply.
The Commission also stated that 37 files were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the prosecution of public officials who have not complied despite the ¬orders from the court.
Every year the commission publishes the names of hundreds of public officials, via paid newspaper advertisements, urging them to file their declarations.
It appears the Commission decided to flex its muscles this year and seek the intervention of the court.
The Commission, chaired by Prof Rajendra Ramlogan, in its new year’s message to the nation on Friday, provided statistics which showed that it has been hounding down the delinquent officials and obtained over 1,500 court orders to take action.
The release stated that the Commission continued its “zero tolerance” approach to the non-filing of Declarations of Income, Assets and Liabilities and Statements of Registrable Interests by people in public life utilising limited existing resources.
The Commission stated that its Compliance Unit, as at the end of December 2022, had the following statistics:
• 2,772 ex parte applications were filed for outstanding Declarations and Statements of Registrable Interests;
• 1,592 court orders were obtained from the High Court pursuant to ex parte applications;
• 521 court orders were served on people for non-compliance with ex parte orders;
• 517 outstanding Declarations and Statements of Registrable Interests were filed in accordance with orders served — 37 files have been sent to the DPP regarding people who have not complied with Orders of the Court to be prosecuted;
—1,143 Declarations and Statements of Registrable Interests have been certified.
The Commission also highlighted the success of its Investigations Unit in dealing with cold cases as old as nine years.
In 2022, the Commission stated that an investigator was assigned to bring closure to 107 cold cases discovered due to an audit conducted in 2021.
For 2022, 18 cold cases were closed.
As of December 2022, the Commission stated that it had 44 active investigations dating back to 2013 and had closed ten.
It also revealed that there have been changes to its investigations and a tracking system has been implemented.
The Commission stated that investigations are now structured and are generally to be completed within an estimated six months to one year.
Investigations are monitored by using status reports, and administrative personnel are responsible for updating the database’s progress.
It stated that a tracking system was implemented to allow complainants to monitor the course of action taken by the Commission ¬after submitting a complaint.
In addition, the Commission boasted that the Investigation Unit was diversified and now comprises professionals possessing expertise in the areas of accounting, law and policing, allowing the unit to better treat with the varied and highly specific types of matters.
The Commission added that it will be moving to utilise powers which will allow it to summon witnesses and question them under oath.
The Commission said that it is currently drafting Regulations to standardise the procedure and forms to facilitate the summoning of witnesses and having them examined upon oath, in accordance with Section 34 (1) (e) of the IPLA.
In the interim, a procedure has been adopted by the Commission which enables the use of Section 34 (1)(e).
The Commission advised the public it will continue to strive to exe¬cute its statutory mandate in 2023 and work assiduously to restore public faith in the institution.
Integrity Commission members
• Prof Rajendra Ramlogan, chairman
• Frederick Gilkes, deputy chairman
• Eleanor Bridgeman-Volney
• Sandra Honoré
• Lyndon Brent James
