Minister Wheatley files court challenge against Integrity Commission

Government minister Dr Andrew Wheatley is asking the Supreme Court to throw out corruption allegations levelled against him by the Integrity Commission.

Minister Wheatley files court challenge against Integrity Commission

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dr Andrew Wheatley, a member of Cabinet, has taken the Integrity Commission to the Supreme Court in a bid to stop criminal proceedings against him.

Wheatley, who holds the portfolio for science, technology and special projects, wants judges to set aside the anti-corruption body's recommendation that he be prosecuted on multiple counts. The commission's report, tabled in Parliament, accused him of illicit enrichment, filing false statutory declarations, and withholding information.

Investigators concluded that Wheatley accumulated around $164 million in wealth that could not be reconciled with his legitimate income across a decade. They said he did not give an adequate explanation for the shortfall.

His legal representatives are contesting the probe on several fronts. They claim the inquiry violated procedural fairness, relied on stale data, and exceeded the commission's powers. They further argue that officials applied legislation backwards to actions that occurred before the Integrity Commission Act took effect in February 2018, and that the body wrongly acted as judge rather than simply flagging possible wrongdoing.

The filing requests that the court annul both the investigation report and the decision to press charges. Lawyers also want an injunction preventing any trial from moving forward.

Wheatley follows Prime Minister Andrew Holness in launching a judicial review against the same body. Holness is separately contesting the commission's conclusions regarding his own financial declarations.

Details of this case were first reported by the Jamaica Observer.

Source: Jamaica Observer