Govt complying with Integrity Commission – Teixeira

Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira has said that members of the administration have been complying with the Integrity Commission, despite the non- appointment of a chairperson.

Teixeira, who was briefing the media on post-Cabinet deliberations, was responding to questions on the reason the commission was not given investigative capacity to police submissions through proper staffing.

She noted that those submissions have been honoured at least on the part of the ruling administration, while expressing apprehension that the opposition may be so willing to divulge information about their financial standing.

“It may be of interest to the media to find out who else does or does not comply with the act, because certainly, the opposition has made it clear, at least the PNC, that they were not going to submit their annual declarations because they disagree with the composition of the Integrity Commission,” the presidential advisor remarked.

The act lists about 300 categories of persons that should be compliant, including the president, judges, magistrates, permanent secretaries, Members of Parliaments and heads of services.

Such persons are required to declare all their bank accounts, the location of each account, the amount of money in each account, salaries and assets of spouses, children, other sources of income, properties (movable and immovable), inheritances from wills and testaments, and all liabilities including mortgages and gifts over US$ 50.

“For me, if you asked me which clause I wanted to change about the Integrity Commission, it would be to strengthen the penalty clauses and offences because people, the first thing they have to do is submit their declaration,” she added.

Teixeira maintained that the declarations are submitted annually to the Integrity Commission on the insistence of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, and now the current President, Donald Ramotar, who is ensuring compliance.

She explained that government has no misgivings about submitting the declaration which are due at the end of June every year in accordance with the act.

According to Teixeira, there is staff astute enough at the commission to detect irregularities in the declarations.

The commission database is competent to point out contradictions and gaps in the information provided by the individuals. “Were there to warrant an investigation, there is the police arm and there are other ways you can do it by hiring an auditor or accountant or a special forensic audit, certainly, they have it in their powers to do that and certainly where there is a criminal offence, then that would have to go to the courts,” Teixeira stated.

Commenting on the non-appointment of a chairperson, Teixeira disclosed that former President Bharrat Jagdeo made several efforts to gain the approval of then opposition leader, Robert Corbin, but all the nominees he put forward were unacceptable to the opposition.