Former High Court judge Amrika Tewarie-Reddy is tipped to be appointed a member of the Integrity Commission. Sources also said yesterday that political analyst and T&T Guardian columnist Dr Hamid Ghany is also expected to be named as a new member of the commission. The term of the last commission members expired in March. They were Justice Gladys Gafoor, who was the deputy chairman; Neil Rolingson, Professor Ann-Marie Bissessar and Seunarine Jokhoo.
Almost three months later President Anthony Carmona is yet to appoint the new commission. Chairman of the commission Ken Gordon is the only member who remained in office, having been appointed just over a year ago, to replace the former chairman Eric St Cyr who resigned.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar after her weekly meeting with the President last Thursday told reporters the new members of the commission was expected to be announced shortly. The President said previously that he would appoint the new members this week. Tewarie-Reddy was among the prospective candidates for the post of president in April this year. Another former High Court judge Sebastian Ventour is also expected to be among the four commissioners.
Sources said the President was “looking to appoint retired judges to the new commission.” A fourth name to surface was that of former Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams. And as the country awaits the appointment of new members of the Integrity Commission, former minority leader in the Tobago House of Assembly Ashworth Jack said it was very sad that in a nation of 1.3 million people, it’s is so difficult to find three people to sit on the commission.
“It is very sad indeed,” Jack added.
What the commission does
It seeks to promote integrity among people in public life, from ministers of government and members of Parliament to permanent secretaries, chief technical officers and members of the boards of statutory bodies and state enterprises. The Commission is required to regulate the conduct of people exercising public functions through the receipt of declarations of income, assets and liabilities, and by monitoring compliance with the Code of Conduct presented in the Integrity in Public Life Act, 2000.
The commission is also responsible for examining the practices and procedures of public bodies in order to facilitate discovery of corrupt practices.