Disclosure chair would not say who filed

As of Thursday, April 11, 2024

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WEEKS after the deadline passed for parliamentarians to make their annual financial disclosures, Public Disclosure Commission chairman Bishop Victor Cooper still could not say yesterday how many completed their filings.

The deadline for disclosures, according to the Public Disclosure Act, is March 1.

Bishop Cooper confirmed that an extension was given to some parliamentarians who had requested it. However, he would not say who they were, claiming he did not remember.

He said officials would meet today “because we’re now going through the declaration, so basically that’s all I can say at this juncture, and once we’re finished with those, which will take some time, we will give that information to the prime minister’s office and the leader of the opposition and they will do the necessary dissemination of that information”.

Cabinet ministers who said they met the deadline include Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, and Works and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting.

Some, like Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, declined to say if they did.

Mr Mitchell later said in the House of Assembly he was “irritated” by journalists contacting him, saying it was none of their business.

Last year, Bishop Cooper revealed that 90 per cent of parliamentarians filed by the March 1 deadline.

He added that many senators and senior civil servants failed to disclose their assets, income and liabilities. The names of those who missed the deadline were not revealed.

The Public Disclosure Act empowers the prime minister and the opposition leader to act concerning delinquent filings by forwarding the matter to the Office of the Attorney General for prosecution.

The penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/ or up to two years in prison.

BMW 2 weeks, 4 days ago

Cooper could not remember who got extension but more than likely can recall bible verses to the word, sounds like a sunday bishop. good day

moncurcool 2 weeks, 4 days ago

This is just nonsense.

Dawes 2 weeks, 4 days ago

So another person getting money and not actually doing a job. AS they don't file anyway lets get rid of this department and save some money for the taxpayer.

hrysippus 2 weeks, 4 days ago

A highly paid state employed worker who is also a bishop of some sort would never ever tell a lie to the media, it is just not possible for ant bishop to do so. This we all know.

stillwaters 2 weeks, 4 days ago

Most of our 'bishops' are highly political, political opportunists, under-educated, and always on the graft.

ThisIsOurs 2 weeks, 4 days ago

", he would not say who they were, claiming he did not remember."

This gentleman is making himself sound like an incompetent doofus. I didnt say he "was", he's making it seem so. And for what? Why is he in this position? I wish the European union would list this as one of the data points in their blacklisting criteria

Socrates 2 weeks, 3 days ago

See why you need the Freedom of information act? In our “democracy”, you only know what they tell you but you can’t independently verify anything.

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