By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterSEVERAL PEOPLE'S National Party backbenchers want a special task force, aided by the police, to investigate and make rulings on "all questionable associations of politicians with corruption and criminality."
A resolution to this end was tabled in the House of Represen-tatives yesterday by Dr. Morais Guy, Member of Parliament for St. Mary Central. It came after last week's attempt by the police to make a link between Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, the Central St. Catherine Member of Parliament, and reputed 'One Order' gang leader Oliver 'Bubba' Smith, who was killed by gunmen while driving a car which the police said is co-owned by Miss Grange and one of her constituents.
"Whereas even the perception of an association between political representatives and criminals would serve to undermine the confidence in the political resolve necessary to win the fight against crime and violence; be it resolved that this Honourable House calls for a special task force to be established...," said Dr. Guy in introducing the resolution which was met in the affirmative by most members of the House.
TASK FORCE
The resolution proposes membership of the task force to be made up of one representative each nominated by the Integrity Commis-sion, the Corruption Prevention Commission and the Office of the Political Ombudsman, "in order to review alongside the relevant arms of the security forces all questionable associations of politicians with corruption and criminality."
The resolution calls for Parliament to, on receipt of the report from the task force, "take the strongest action including censure, expulsion or impeachment," of wayward politicians to preserve the integrity of the House of Representatives.
In 1993 the Jamaica Labour Party proposed through the constitutional reform committee the enactment of legislation to impeach high public officials, elected and non-elected, for: non-feasance i.e. non-performance of a duty; abuse of privilege of office, for example, misleading Parliament; abuse of power or official authority; conduct demeaning to office; corruption or misappropriation of public funds or property.
The resolution was also signed by MPs Sharon Hay-Webster, Charles Learmond, Patrick Harris, Victor Cummings, Len Blake, Ralston Anson, Richard Azan, Neil McGill and O.T. Williams.
