Report suggests IC members embarrassed by chairman St Cyr

File: IC Chairman Dr Eric St Cyr with President Max Richards

A report in the Newsday newspaper Thursday said members of the Integrity Commission are deeply concerned about what it called "the repeated embarrassment...due to inappropriate and unauthorised statements made by their chairman, Dr Eric St Cyr."

And the report suggested that President Max Richards might be considering the revocation of St Cyr’s appointment.

The paper cited "reliable sources" as saying that members have repeatedly advised the chairman to refrain from making public utterances in relation to complaints. However it said St Cyr "has defied such advice by breaking his silence and commenting on complaints to the media."

Last week St Cyr told one newspaper that the commission was investigating the chairperson of UDeCOTT, Jearlean John. That turned out to be highly controversial since the Commission had not told John about it.

That led John's lawyer to write the commission to demand that St Cyr resign for breach of privacy rules governing his status as chairman of the commission.

And the UDeCOTT line minister, Dr Roodal Moonilal, suggested on tuesday that St Cyr should consider resignation as one of his options. he also said St Cyr owes John an apology.

The Integrity Commission is appointed by the President and is independent of the government.

There is a sense of Deja Vu for the President, who returned from vacation Tuesday. In 2009 his appointment of a Commission caused a scandal that eventually led to the resignation of all members within days of their appointment. He later appointed the present commission led by St Cyr.

St Cyr himself has been vocal about matters before the commission, especially with respect to high profile government members.

Last year shortly after the new government was elected he spoke publicly about Jack Warner's dual role as a minister of government and vice president of FIFA while that matter was before the commission.

And earlier this year when the opposition was creating a fuss over Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's stay at the home of a friend, St Cyr again went public saying that Persad-Bissessar could have avoided the controversy by not staying at her friend's residence.

A previous Integrity Commission led by John Martin resigned en masse in 2009 after a judge ruled that it was improper for it to conduct an inquiry in Keith Rowley without giving Rowley a chance to be heard. The commission admitted that it acted improperly and quit.

Read related story: Flashback: Previous Integrity Commission quit after court ruled that it acted improperly in Rowley case