Government Ministers ready for Integrity Forms

GOVERNMENT MINISTERS yesterday condemned the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) for alleging that members of the Government were afraid to publicly declare their assets along with those of their spouses and children.

The Ministers told Newsday all People’s National Movement (PNM) members could hold themselves accountable to the population and were eagerly awaiting Parliament to approve the forms required for them to declare their assets and those of their immediate families to the Integrity Commission (IC). Works Minister Franklyn Khan, who has been a regular target of the UNC following his purchase of a house in Moka, declared: “No one in public office should be scared about it.” Khan said since he entered public life, he always “knew this was on the drawing board” and there was no reason why any frontline parliamentarian or minister should not declare their assets. On his recent purchase, Khan reiterated that he worked in the energy sector for over 20 years and he had nothing to hide. “Yes but of course! Nobody in the Cabinet objects to it,” Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Minister Danny Montano declared. Montano said there was a lot of misinformation over the declaration of assets and it was false to say that ministers’ assets would be published in the newspapers. Montano disclosed there was “at least one UNC senator” who was unaware that all parliamentarians had to declare their assets under the law. “We are all caught by it,” he added.

Junior Trade Minister Diane Seukeran stated that once anyone “stands for office”, declaration of their assets is a must because “the idea is to protect against corruption.” Seukeran noted that the main area of concern regarding the declaration of assets was “the width of the band. “Last week, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said one of the concerns raised about the Integrity legislation was whether “the net” of persons who must make declarations was not cast too wide. Seukeran said several of the persons raising these concerns had “good grounds” to do so and if the current legislation “leaves loopholes,” Government would be prepared to either amend it or bring new legislation to Parliament. The Minister added that Government was also working to ensure that any information declared to the IC is kept in the strictest confidence. Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday first brought the issue of public officials’ assets to the fore when he was charged with failure to declare an account at the National Westminister Bank in London in his name and that of his wife Oma for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 (when he was Prime Minister). The matter will be heard in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on October 20. Historically, former NAR Attorney-General Selwyn Richardson (who was murdered in 1995) who waged a vigorous anti-corruption campaign from the mid-70’s to the late 80’s, always insisted that public officials declare their assets and always did so himself. To a lesser extent, former government minister Trevor Sudama was the only member of the UNC to publicly account in Parliament about his personal assets and patterns of expenditure.