Jamaica PM under pressure to resign over integrity probe

Jamaica’s main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the wake of an integrity commission report that has cast doubts about his finances and whether he has enriched himself since becoming head of government more than six years ago.

The report, compiled after two years of investigations, details his finances in recent years made it to the 63-member parliament this week but Holness, facing general elections next year, says the report has cleared him of any wrongdoing and of any allegations of illegal enrichment as a result of being head of government.

“After this most thorough interrogation of my personal affairs, which is not in any way connected to public funds, or a benefit resulting from my office, they were unable to come to a conclusion regarding illicit enrichment,” he argued but the PNP which says it is leading in opinion polls, says it begs to differ.

Opposition leader and attorney Mark Golding argues that questions linger about breaches of the tax compliance rules regarding three companies linked to or associated with Holness, saying that some had not filed tax returns for two years. This has not happened to any prime minister since independence in 1962.

“Jamaica now finds itself in an unprecedented situation where its head of government is embroiled in a prolonged and unresolved integrity investigation. The state apparatus is investigating its own prime minister. Despite his reassurances in parliament, Mr. Holness is clearly distracted by the fight to clear his name. This battle, being waged from the highest office in the land, is undermining our democratic system and eroding public confidence in the government,” the PNP added.

The investigation had done a forensic probe into bank accounts of the PM and companies associated with him, noting that despite the fact that the firms had done positive business over the years, one of them, Imperium, had filed nil tax returns for 2021-22. Positive Media, another did not file returns for the same period while Estatebridge did not trouble the tax office for 2021 as well.

The integrity commission had previously written to the PM suggesting that it wanted to determine whether “the proceeds of its investigations, so far, have determined that you own assets disproportionate to your lawful earnings, insofar as have been declared by you.”

Holness counters by saying that “I reject the finding that I acquired an asset for which the source of funds is not adequately explained.”

Sensing a chance to go for the kill as Jamaicans are divided over the entire saga, the opposition says it will thoroughly review the document and will address the nation in the coming days as this is politically unprecedented.

“We are currently reviewing the full report with our legal team and officers to ensure that we fully understand the implications of this investigation. After carefully analyzing the details, we will address the Jamaican people more substantially and comprehensively,” the PNP said, contending that the PM had “deliberately misled the country and parliament.”