Integrity Commission gets 10,000 forms

The Government Printery yesterday sent the Integrity Commission some 10,000 copies of the Prescribed Form for persons in public life to declare their assets/interests under the Integrity in Public Life Act 2000. Newsday learnt this in a call to a Printery spokesman who was in upbeat spirits about achieving this huge run within a short time yesterday. The Integrity Commission is now expected to distribute these forms to public officials such as politicians, judges and members of  State boards. Meanwhile, Attorney General John Jeremie told Newsday that no complications should arise from the delay in supplying the forms since their approval by Parliament in November 2003.

He was speaking to Newsday on Tuesday during the tea-break of the Senate. Jeremie said that once the forms were gazetted as done in February, public officials immediately came under an obligation to file their return. Despite any delay of the Integrity Commission sending forms to officials, once the forms were gazetted, time started to run for these persons in public life. “There is no loophole after that. The forms are available, maybe not ‘readily available’ but nevertheless available.” Jeremie noted that during the wait on the Integrity Commission to supply the forms, persons in public life had another option to hasten the process. Public officials, said Jeremie, could obtain the Prescribed Forms by buying the Trinidad Gazettte, which had presented the forms in entirety as a legal notice. The Gazette, he said, could be bought at the Government Printery. Jeremie said that from the day he was appointed AG he had made it his business to get the Integrity legislation on its feet. “I’ve done all I could with respect to the Government Printery. The chairman of the Integrity Commission and I have a wonderful working relationship.”