Integrity Commission denies clearing Brown Lawrence of fraud and corruption charges

The Integrity Commission of Jamaica (ICJ) has sought to distance itself from a news report that embattled Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor Kim Brown Lawrence has been cleared of fraud and corruption charges stemming from the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) scandal. 

Brown was quoted in the media as informing the sitting of the St Ann Municipal Corporation that the Integrity Commission had cleared her on Wednesday. 

But the ICJ, in a post on its Twitter page today, tweeted, “The Integrity Commission of Jamaica is not the Integrity Commission that is named in the report.”

Efforts to get a comment from Brown Lawrence were unsuccessful. 

But her lawyer, Claudia McKay, said she is not aware of any report nor had seen any such report from the commission. 

“I don't know of any report and my client's instruction to me is that she heard about this on the news as well and I don't have any instruction about anything happening at a meeting this morning,” McKay said. 

The councillor was implicated in the corruption scandal that rocked the CMU in 2019. 

Former education minister Ruel Reid, his wife Sharen and their daughter Sharelle, as well as former CMU president, Professor Fritz Pinnock, were also implicated. 

The five accused were arrested by law enforcement in 2019 in connection with a major fraud and corruption probe involving transactions at the CMU. 

The charges include breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law, and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act. 

The long-standing case, which is currently stalled in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, is set for mention tomorrow. 

The matter is unable to proceed to trial due to judicial review hearing and a decision by the Court of Appeal on an application by Reid and Pinnock for leave to go to the Privy Council.

Brown-Lawrence had, however, expressed frustration last year with the delay in the matter through her lawyer, the late Earnest Smith, and had indicated a desire to be tried on her own. 

According to Smith, the Brown's Town Division councillor had her sight set on contesting the upcoming local government elections. 

A high-ranking organiser in the JLP's Area Council Three, which includes St Ann, had also told The Gleaner that Brown-Lawrence had not been struck from the slate of more than 200 candidates expected to contest the election for the party. 

- Tanesha Mundle 

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.