– calls for release of defaulters’ names

SEVENTEEN Members of Parliament (MPs) have failed to submit their declarations to the Integrity Commission, and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharat Jagdeo, has expressed his concern.

During a press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo emphasized that this is the highest number of delinquencies in the past five years. In comparison, he pointed out that during the previous three years under the former APNU+AFC government no declarations were submitted at all.

“We are not here to defend any public officer who does not submit their returns to the Integrity Commission. That is a law of our country and we fully support the publication of all the names of the people who are in default,” Jagdeo stated.

He explained that based on reports, the 17 individuals who had not submitted their declarations to the commission were not PPP/C Members of Parliament, as all of them had already submitted their documents.

“The 17 must be from the other side,” he remarked, calling on the Opposition to organize themselves and fulfil their obligations.

On February 21, 2021, the previous board of the Integrity Commission reached the end of its term.

Subsequently, a new board consisting of Dr Kim Kyte-Thomas, Mohamed Ispahani Haniff, Hardesh Tewari, and Wayne Bowman, with Chandra Gajraj serving as the Chair of the Commission, was inaugurated in May 2022.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Office of the President, located on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Georgetown, officiated by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.
The Integrity Commission recently issued a warning to public officers who have not submitted their 2022 declarations.

“As of February 2023, the commission has sent out notices to several specified public officers for failure to file their declarations. The next step is that defaulters will have their names published in the local press and the official gazette. If declarations are still not received, the final step would be to seek prosecution of the defaulters,” the commission said in a statement.

Last December, the commission extended the submission deadline for declarations by persons in public life.