By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#TurksandCaicos, September 29, 2022 – Every biennial anniversary of the Integrity Commission is the due date for specified public officials to file their financial declaration with the Turks and Caicos Islands Integrity Commission.
It is the law and it is what everyone in this category of public sector worker contractually agrees to upon being hired in the civil service.
On Thursday, information surfaced and was later confirmed that two prominent members of TCIG were placed on suspension as a result of potentially failing to comply with Section 39 (1) of the Integrity Commission Ordinance.
Anthony Swann of the Immigration Department and Edwin Taylor, the Labour Commissioner were confirmed as suspended by Anya Williams, Deputy Governor and head of the civil service in TCIG.
“…their suspension relates to a potential breach regarding their obligation to file with the Integrity Commission,” said the DG in response to questions by Magnetic Media.
Rumors had claimed as many as six individuals were a part of a corruption ring, which led to the suspensions. However that would later be said to be untrue. Comments from both the Deputy Governor and Governor affirm a
different version of events.
“With regard to your question about the DG’s involvement in the suspension of Mr. Swann and Mr. Taylor, the DG is Head of the Public Service so is of course involved in any decisions involved in members of staff who serve in the Public Service. But the integrity Commission reports to me, and so it is myself who – without prejudice – has asked for Tribunals to be convened to weigh the issues.
Should it need to be made clear, there is no member of the Public Service or Police Force who – if a case is developed by the Integrity Commission – is safe from escaping due process,” said Nigel Dakin, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
His Excellency added, “I can confirm that no other member of the public service has been – in recent days – placed on administrative leave although the DG reserves the right to move staff to different duties should that be in the interests of the public service,” but he did say, “For completeness, several months ago, we placed on Administrative Leave, to progress through an internal-disciplinary process, ten members of the Immigration Ministry again following investigations by the Integrity Commission.”
The section in question requires: “Every person who is a specified person in public life, not being a member or staff member of the Commission, shall— (a) on or before 30 June 2012 and every two years thereafter, on or before the biennial anniversary of that date; and (b) where such person ceases to be a specified person in public life, within ninety days from the date on which the person ceases to be a specified person in public life, file with the Commission a declaration containing the particulars referred to in subsection (3) and each of the members or staff members of the Commission shall file with the Governor similar declarations on or before the dates on which such declarations are required by other persons in public life.”
Mr. Swann and Mr. Taylor are allegedly in breach. Failure to file or falsifying a filed declaration is an offence and could attract hefty penalties, including a $15,000 fine or one year in prison.