Ramesh slams Morean over Integrity

Former Attorney General, Ramesh Maharaj, has dismissed Attorney General Glenda Morean’s proposal to alter the Integrity Commission as a ploy to prevent scrutiny of the affairs of government ministers. 

Saying the Integrity in Public Life Act 2000 already empowered the Integrity Commission to investigate suspect officials, Maharaj said that instead of trying to amend this body, Morean should simply lay the integrity declaration forms in Parliament for politicians to fill out and be subject to scrutiny. He said under his watch, the form had been approved by the Attorney General, Legislative Review Committee of the Attorney General’s Ministry, Legislative Review Committee of the Cabinet, the Cabinet, the Integrity Commission, and finally Parliament where it had been laid in 2001 but had lapsed. “All she has to do is re-lay it,” said Maharaj, explaining the process would take just five minutes.

Maharaj declared: “Although since December 2001 the PNM Government has spent $30 billion with allegations of corruption, the Integrity Commission is disabled from scrutinising the bank accounts of ministers because of the absence of these forms”. He accused the Government of betraying the population. He said: “The PNM in Opposition voted for the Integrity Act 2000. Rowley, Manning and Imbert had praised the Integrity Act for giving even more power to the Integrity Commission than what the Attorney General (Morean) is now talking about. “The new Integrity Commission has wide powers to prevent Ministers suddenly getting rich, to declare the assets of themselves and their spouses, to have wide powers to investigate the bank accounts and dealings of Ministers, to prevent conflicts of interest by Ministers and influence peddling.” Maharaj slammed: “But the action of the Government is for Ministers not to have to declare their assets. Since the PNM took office no one has declared their assets. The Integrity Commission is obstructed. Morean knows she can’t remove or modify the Integrity Commission without a parliamentary special majority. She knows she is blowing in the wind.”