Government
Williams Calls for Parliament to Reject Crest Report on Integrity Commission; Slams Expanded Governor Powers
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – All-Island Member of Parliament Jameka Williams is calling on the House of Assembly to reject the recently published Crest Review of the Turks and Caicos Islands Integrity Commission (IC), branding it a flawed and undemocratic attempt to expand the Governor’s control over a body already crippled by outside interference.
Speaking during a heated session of Parliament on July 1, Williams said she was “affronted” by the review process and its findings, which she claimed disregarded the voices of Turks and Caicos Islanders and dangerously recommended that the IC’s operations be shifted under the Governor’s office.
“We have the Governor exerting influence into the Commission, then turning around and declaring it unfit for office—and you gotta make that make sense,” Williams charged.
She has now urged fellow parliamentarians—across party lines—to join her in rejecting the report, stating it “flies in the face of democratic proceedings” and threatens the independence of the Commission.
“The Crest report does not fix the real problems; it amplifies them,” Williams said. “It recommends more power be handed to the very office that has compromised the Commission’s independence.”
Crest Review Calls for Structural Overhaul
The controversial report, commissioned in 2024 by Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and Integrity Commission Chair Justice Lobban Jackson, was meant to assess the IC’s effectiveness 14 years after its founding. The independent team at Crest Advisory interviewed 40 stakeholders and conducted policy comparisons with international best practices.
Their verdict: the IC is not fit for purpose. Findings included weak governance structures, an overstretched workforce, poor
The review called for a complete rebuild of the IC from the ground up, with new strategies, staffing reforms, clearer role definitions, annual reporting, and enhanced data privacy protocols. However, the most controversial recommendation proposes integrating the IC more closely with the Governor’s office—an idea Williams finds deeply problematic.
MP: Report Omits Critical Local Input
Williams was particularly incensed that only 17 of the 40 interviews conducted by Crest were with individuals inside the IC, and she believes concerns raised by local parliamentarians about the Governor’s interference were “conveniently” left out.
“That is not a cross-section of Turks and Caicos Islanders. It is obvious that the Crest team only published opinions aligned with a predetermined outcome,” she said.
She further rebuked the report’s failure to acknowledge the historical influence of the Governor’s office in compromising the IC’s autonomy, calling it “one of the most significant reasons for the Commission’s decline.”
“When the Commission no longer directs the activities carried out in its name, we no longer have an independent institution—we have a compromised one,” she warned.
Though the review has been endorsed by the Governor and the IC’s Chair, Williams’ resistance introduces a growing political challenge. And she is not alone. Her remarks during the Private Members’ motion were met with thunderous desk raps from fellow parliamentarians, signalling wide support across the aisle. Hon Williams has ignited a clear, bipartisan call for reclaiming the Commission’s independence and reasserting the voice of the people.