IC Finds No Evidence PM Holness Sought to Illicitly Enrich Himself

Nationwide News understands that the Integrity Commission says following a three year probe which involved the hiring of an Independent International Forensic Accounting Examiner, it is unable to conclude that Prime Minister Andrew Holness illicitly enriched himself.

The findings are reportedly contained in an approximately 170 page report which is to be tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

George Davis reports.

Sources close to the commission say its director of investigation, Kevon Stephenson, says he’s unable to conclude that the prime minister illicitly enriched himself.

This because he did not have access to a schedule of the prime minister’s personal expenses over the relevant period or additional details concerning three of Mr. Holness’ companies.

Stephenson disclosed in his report that the commission began an investigation into the prime minister’s affairs after its commissioners said they were concerned about Holness’ statutory declarations for 2021 and whether he owned more assets than his lawful earnings would facilitate.

The director of investigations says the commissioners indicated that they were concerned about an unexplained increase in Holness’ net worth to the tune of just under JM $4.5 million.

But the Integrity Commission’s director of investigation says following a review, the investigations department had no issue with the prime minister’s declarations for 2021.

Mr. Stephenson wrote that there was no unexplained growth in the prime minister’s net worth in 2021.

However, Mr. Stephenson says following the analysis, the investigations department took issue with what he described as an unexplained growth of just over JM $1.9 million in Mr. Holness’ net worth for the year 2022.

Stephenson noted that Holness’ net worth had actually declined by just over JM $1.1million between 2020 and 2021.

During his report, Stephenson accused Holness of hindering his probe by not submitting a schedule of his personal expenses.

But the director of investigations noted that the prime minister’s lawyers insisted he has supplied all relevant information in compliance with the law.

The director of investigations did not recommend prosecution for the prime minister concerning the offence of illicit enrichment.

Kevon Stephenson revealed that the commission hired an independent international forensic accounting examiner who reviewed Holness’ financial affairs for six months because of the complexities in the prime minister’s personal business arrangements.

In another area of the investigation, Mr. Stephenson also expressed concern about the prime minister’s investment in a bond.

The prime minister’s lawyers told the Commission that contrary to his written instructions, the bank which facilitated the investment made an error and attributed US $30,000 from his Positive Jamaica Foundation to support the US $60,000 bond purchase.

The transaction was later reversed by the bank.

However, the director of investigation reportedly recommended that the Financial Investigation Division, FID, conducts an additional review of the bond purchase.

The Integrity Commission has reportedly written to Parliament asking Parliament’s support for the FID referral.

Our news centre disclosed last week that the Integrity Commission’s director of investigations recommended that the prime minister be prosecuted for not disclosing four bank accounts – three of them owned by his parents and one owned by a former constituency office manager.

That recommendation was rejected by the director of corruption prosecution at the Integrity Commission, Keisha Prince Kameka.

The accounts had a combined total of just under JM $400,000.

Mrs. Prince Kameka said the prosecution would be hard pressed to conclude that the prime minister knowingly did not declare the accounts on which he noted he was added as an emergency contact.

In her ruling, Prince-Kameka suggested that there was greater evidence to support Prime Minister Holness’ explanation for not disclosing the bank accounts than there was to support a recommendation by Mr. Stephenson for the prime minister to be prosecuted.