By Balford Henry, Senior ReporterPRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson failed yesterday to meet his deadline for tabling in the House of Representatives the names of MPs who had not made a declaration of assets for 1999 to the Integrity Commission.
But, another of the commitments he made during his statements on corruption last month was fulfilled. Minister of National Security and Justice, K.D. Knight, tabled a Bill which makes it a criminal offence with a maximum fine of $5 million to illegally tap telephones.
Mr. Patterson had promised in the House on November 7 to table this month the report from the Commission naming the Parliamentarians who had been delinquent in submitting their declarations to the Commission for 1999. These were part of his measures to handle corrupt practices among public servants.
Yesterday, he explained to the House of Representatives he would not be able to fulfil that commitment because the tenure of the most recent Commission had expired on November 27, without the report being sent to him or Opposition Leader Edward Seaga. He said he was advised the report was completed, but it could not be sent to either of them, as the Parliamentary Leaders, until a new Commission was fully established.
Mr. Patterson said the Governor-General, in accordance with the law, has been in consultations with himself and Mr. Seaga. He expects those consultations will lead to the appointment of the Commission over the holidays. Whenever that is done and the report is sent to him, he will make it public, he said.
The Prime Minister warned the MPs: "So anybody who still remains on the list only has a temporary reprieve and, if I can use the opportunity once again to say, it would be good to use that interval to put right that which is still missing."
He said although the report had already been completed and the names would be disclosed, the Member could, at least, have the defence that he/she had made good between now and the revelation of the report.
At yesterday's sitting the House also passed amendments to the Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act, piloted by Mr. Patterson. The amendments make the Parliamentarians answerable to the proposed Corruption Prevention Commission under the Corruption Prevention Act.
The previous Commission was chaired by Uriel Salmon, UWI business law and accounts lecturer.
The Interception of Communications Act (the wiretap Bill), tabled by Mr. Knight yesterday, will prohibit the interception of communications transmitted over a telecommunications network, except under certain conditions.
Those conditions include: authorisation by warrant issued by a judge in accordance with the Act; where there are reasonable grounds for believing that the person by or to whom the communication is transmitted consents to the interception; cases of interception by ordinary incident to the provision of telecommunications services, or to the enforcement of enactment relating to the use of those services; and in the case of non-public telecommunications networks, by a person who has the right to control the operation or use of the network.
Persons who obtain information in contravention of the Act would be liable on summary conviction in a Resident Magistrate's Court, to a fine not exceeding $5 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to both the fine and the imprisonment.
