Panday challenges New Integrity Commission

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday on Friday called for a review of all the decisions made by the Integrity Commission over the past eight years to see if any other "acts of misfeasance" were committed by the previous boards.

He offered that as a challenge for the new commissioners who would replace the board that resigned Thursday following a high court ruling that the board had acted in bad faith in dealing with former cabinet minister Dr Keith Rowley.

"Several matters questioning the conduct and activities of government official, including five ministers, were referred to the Integrity Commission over the past few years. In many instances the Commission has quickly and almost effortlessly cleared these persons or the complaints have slipped into some black hole," Panday said.

"We have seen partial and discriminatory practices in the way past commissions treated with PNM officials and persons in the UNC. Hundreds of PNM officials and persons appointed to public office by the PNM government failed and refused to file declarations of their assets and interests and the Integrity Commission did nothing.

"In 2006 they assisted Louis Lee Sing to prepare his declaration. But persons outside the PNM have been hounded down and prosecuted. "How many of the matters referred to the Integrity Commission for investigation were treated with partiality? How many other 'acts of bad faith' and 'misfeasance in public office' were committed? How many decisions on whether to prosecute were tainted?" the former prime minister asked.

Panday himself was the subject of an investigation that led to his conviction for failing to fully declare his assets to the commission. That decision was later quashed on the basis of perceived political interference.

On Tuesday Feb. 3,2009, the high court delivered a damning judgment against the Integrity Commission its handling of the Rowley matter, saying it was guilty of "misfeasance in public office and acting in bad faith without care for whether it breached the rights of the plaintiff or whether its actions were illegal".

The court added that it appeared no investigation was conducted in that matter, which led to a criminal prosecution. Panday added it may be necessary for the new commissioners to investigate what would have motivated their predecessors to behave in this manner and whether any laws were breached by those individuals.

And he suggested that the new Commission should be appointed by the Government and the Opposition.