Court rules Barita must comply with IC request for financial records of public officials
Published:Wednesday | January 17, 2024 | 10:37 AM
The Supreme Court has ruled that Barita Investments Limited must comply with an Integrity Commission (IC) request for financial information on 151 current and former public officials.
Justice Chester Stamp handed down the decision this morning.
Another entity, First Global Bank (FGB), agreed during the proceedings to comply.
They have since provided the information.
The Commission sought the court's intervention in November 2021 after FGB and Barita refused to comply with a June 2021 request.
The commission's Director of Information and Complaints said he was seeking the information from them as part of his lawful duty to make enquiries to certify or determine the accuracy of information that the officials submitted in their statutory declarations of their income, assets and liabilities.
The institutions had expressed deep concerns about the legality of the request and fears of breaching privacy and confidentiality agreements with their customers under the Banking Services Act.
The Sunday Gleaner had reported that it obtained the list of officials but has chosen not to publish the names.
A government member of parliament was the only politician at the national level on the list, which included a mayor and at least three councillors from the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and the Opposition People's National Party.
At least 10 of the officials are senior administrators in various municipal corporations, including Kingston and St Andrew and St James.
Along with three police sergeants and a deputy superintendent of police, there were also officials from the Jamaica Customs Agency, the Urban Development Corporation, ministries of National Security and Transport and Works, the South East Regional Health Authority and the Office of the Services Commission.
The commission was represented by attorney-at-law Annaliesa Lindsay of the firm Lindsay Law Chambers.
- Jovan Johnson
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