BY ALPHEA SUMNER Senior staff reporter alpheasaunders@jamaicaobserver.com
Jamaica (Jamaica Observer) – Executive director of the Integrity Commission (IC) Greg Christie and Cabinet Minister Everald Warmington squared off at Wednesday’s meeting of the parliamentary oversight committee for the commission after the controversial Member of Parliament (MP) fired a line of questions at the public official, accusing the anti-corruption body of being “tainted”.
“The Integrity Commission is expected to be impartial, unbiased, and above politics. Is that the case currently?” Warmington asked.
Christie responded by asking him to repeat the question, then said, “Absolutely”.
Warmington then proceeded to inquire: “Is there anyone on your team who is viewed as a PEP — a politically exposed person — whereby if they are opening an account or doing anything like this they have to declare this to the bank?”
“Sir, let me say something to you. I wouldn’t want to say this, but I have to. I’ve never voted,” Christie told the MP, to which Warmington retorted: “I didn’t ask you that, I’m not interested.”
Warmington went on to allege that the IC’s director of corruption prevention, stakeholder engagement, and anti-corruption strategy Ryan Evans had previously been employed to former leader of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Peter Phillips in a political capacity as an advisor.
“How do you think Jamaicans would look at it when someone, who was politically connected, happens to be a director of corruption investigation. This department is tainted, certainly!” Warmington insisted, to objections from MP for St Andrew South Eastern Julian Robinson.
