The Trinidad & Tobago Integrity Commission has published the names of persons who have failed to file declarations in keeping with the requirements of the Integrity in Public Life Act.
The following persons in public life are required to file annual declarations of income, assets and liabilities with the Integrity Commission:
Section 11 (7) of the Act states the Commission has the power after such a publication has been made to make an ex parte application to the High Court for an order directing such persons to comply with the Act and the Court will impose such conditions as it sees fit.
- Members of the House of Representatives
- Ministers of Government
- Parliamentary Secretaries
- Members of the Tobago House of Assembly
- Members of Municipalities
- Members of Local Government Authorities
- Senators
- Members of the Boards of all Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises including those bodies in which the State has a controlling interest
- Permanent Secretaries and Chief Technical Officers
A High Court decision, No. 1735 of 2005, ruled, on October, 15, 2007, that Judges and Magistrates are not subject to the Integrity in Public Life Act, 2000.
Failure to file declarations may result in prosecution. Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday was jailed for failing to file declarations while he held the office of PM. Hundreds of others who committed the same breach have not suffered a similar fate.
The current list published by the Commission includes Calder Hart, Former UDeCOTT chief executive. He did not file for the years ended 2009 and 2010.
Others include:
- Senator Fitzgerald Hinds (PNM)
- Former MP Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj (PNM)
- Former MP Peter Taylor (PNM)
- Former Senator Emily Gaynor Dick-Ford (PNM)
- Former Senator Tina Gronlund Nunez (PNM)
Former People's Partnership cabinet ministers Verna St Rose-Greaves and Collin Partap are also named in the list of 395. Others include former senator Patrick Watson and former Senate vice-president George Hadeed.
There are many former temporary senators:
- Wesley George
- Shane Mohammed
- Ravi Ratiram
- Noel Gayle
- Christopher Joefield
- Nicholas Galt
- Salisha Khan
- Akins Vidale
Also on the list are:
- Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London (who is incorrectly identified as Orville Gordon)
- THA Minority leader Ashworth Jack
- Hughvon Des Vignes
- Steve Jack
- Howard Chin Lee
- Joseph Toney
- Lindsay Gillette
- George Nicholas
- Allan Clovis
- Robert Riley
- Susan Smith
- Avedanand Persad
- Brian Manning
- 12 twelve permanent secretaries
- Several local government representatives from many corporations
Declarations must be filed by May 31 each year. Persons are required to file for the year prior to taking office and the year(s) in which they served.
The Act provides for publication in the Gazette and one daily newspaper of the names of persons who have not filed. (The list has been published in NEWSDAY).
The Act provides for publication in the Gazette and one daily newspaper of the names of persons who have not filed. (The list has been published in NEWSDAY).
Section 11 (7) of the Act states the Commission has the power after such a publication has been made to make an ex parte application to the High Court for an order directing such persons to comply with the Act and the Court will impose such conditions as it sees fit.
Section 11 (8) adds that should such persons fail to comply with the directions of the court, they commit an offence and are liable on conviction to a fine of $150,000.
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