Long-standing links between officials and organized crime figures persist. Government bodies continue to pursue corruption investigations, and cases often end in convictions. However, there are criticisms in the media and from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that authorities are reluctant to pursue some cases, while others are subject to extensive delays. Government whistleblowers are not well protected.
New legal efforts to fight corruption have been mounted in recent years. These include the approval of the Integrity Commission Act of 2017, which requires lawmakers and public officials to disclose their income, liabilities, and assets; the act also streamlined anticorruption laws and empowered a single commission to monitor compliance. The Integrity Commission began its work in 2018, and in May 2021, publicly asserted its independence, saying that it would not accept political interference in “when or how” it chooses to carry out its mandate. However, its effectiveness has been limited by several high-profile resignations, delays in issuing reports, and a lack of prosecutions resulting from its work. Additionally, the parliamentary Integrity Commission Oversight Committee (ICOC), which is tasked with assessing the Commission’s recommendations on how to improve anticorruption legislation, has largely failed to fulfil its duties.
In a 2019 report to the Senate, the Integrity Commission warned that managers at oil refining firm Petrojam had spent J$2.6 million ($19,700) on birthday parties, and that the firm was unable to justify major outlays. Investigations into graft at Petrojam continued during 2021. Both the former chairman and general manager of Petrojam were arrested in March 2021 and charged with obtaining money via false pretenses and aiding and abetting that effort, respectively. Additional fraud-related charges were filed against both individuals in October.
In October 2019, former education minister Ruel Reid, two relatives, and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) president Fritz Pinnock were arrested on suspicion of corruption, fraud, and the misappropriation of as much as J$50 million ($380,000) in public funds for their personal use. The case remained pending as of the end of 2021.
