New Integrity Commission ready to work under cloud of controversy

The newly-appointed Integrity Commission in Trinidad & Tobago is ready to get to work although it started off with the immediate resignation of one of its members. Commission chairman Father Henry Charles said the commission has a quorum and can do its work.

Justice Zainool Hosein quit immediately on learning that President Max Richards had chosen not to appoint him as Deputy Chairman of the Commission as promised. The former Justice of Appeal said it was most "unpalatable" to have to resign but expressed deep concern over the head of state reneging on his decision.

"If this kind of thing could emanate from the Head of State, whose word are we to rely upon. Can't we rely on the word of our head of state?" asked Hosein in an interview with the Trinidad Express.

Hosein said Richards told him up to Thursday, that his position as Deputy Chairman had been "confirmed."

But at the ceremony on Friday Jeffrey McFarlane, NIB Executive Director, was invited to take the oath as deputy chairman. That's when he decided to quit.

He said he submitted his resignation after taking the oath because he didn't want to "march off and create a scene".

Hosein said he did not know what "intervened" between Thursday and Friday and said the president offered no explanation so he declined the President's request to serve.

"I didn't feel that I could have done that because it would appear that I had fully accepted the position," Hosein said.

Commenting on Hosein's resignation, Father Charles told the Trinidad Express, "People are free to accept or reject, you can't say they should or they shouldn't. Justice Hosein thought it more appropriate for him to reject, rather than to take up the appointment and he is perfectly free to do that."

There are also concerns about McFarlane, who as a senior executive at the National Insurance Board (NIB) reports to controversial NIB boss Calder Hart.

The chairman did not wish to comment on the McFarlane issue. He told the paper the commission is holding its first meeting Monday and he does not wish to "preempt whatever McFarlane has to say to the Commission".

He said the inaugural meeting would involved "clearing the deck or rather seeing what the deck contains, sharing perspectives on how we envisaged the work of the Commission, deciding what we think is pressing and deciding what ways to proceed and going forward. It is that kind of discussion we would have."

Father Charles told the paper restoring public confidence is a major challenge facing the new commission.

"In the public mind, the Integrity Commission is some sort of secret CIA operative. And that is not what it should be. The Integrity Commission is there to protect the public patrimony. That is its first and primary responsibility, not (merely) to scope people out for wrongdoing.

"Of course being vigilant is part of the responsibility, but it is much broader than vigilance. It is also enlightening the public to what is required of the citizenry and where integrity is important. So it is not only about investigation-education is critical," he said.

The current members of the commission are: Lylla Rose Bada, Gladys Gafoor, Fr Henry Charles (chairman), Jeffrey Mc Farlane (deputy chairman).