by Linda Straker
- Filing of declaration for persons in public life commenced in March 2014
- The filing dates were 8-9 May
A total of 71 police officers from the category of Corporals and Sergeants were among persons in public life who recently filed declarations of assets with the Integrity Commission according to the Integrity in Public Life legislation.
The filing dates were 8-9 May. For persons who requested extensions including senators, police officers and persons from ministries and departments, the filing date was 29 May 2019.
“The filing of these declarations were made pursuant to the Integrity in Public Life Act Number 24 of 2013, Section 28 (1) & (2), which require persons in public life, listed in the First Schedule, to file Declarations with the Integrity Commission disclosing their assets, liabilities, income and interest in relation to property,” said a news release from the Integrity Commission.
Filing of declaration for persons in public life became an annual exercise that commenced in March 2014.
All information relating and pertaining to declarations, according to the law shall be treated as secret and confidential and shall any unauthorised person who violates this section of the law commits an offence. The penalty for this offence on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding EC$20,000 or 12 months imprisonment.
However, if a matter is before the court that requires the Integrity Commission to release declaration information, then a judge can order that the information be released to the court.
In accordance with Section 28 (4) of the Integrity in Public Life Act, should declarants fail to file their declarations, or without reasonable cause fails to furnish required documents in accordance with the act, the commission shall publish such fact in the Gazette and at least one weekly newspaper in circulation in Grenada.
Thereafter, the commission pursuant to subsection (4), may make an ex-parte application to the court for an order directing the person in public life to comply with the provisions of the Act and the court may, in addition to making such an order, impose such conditions as it thinks fit. This is in keeping with Section 28 (5) of the Act, [amended by Act No.5 of 2015]
The commission said it looks forward to the continued cooperation of persons in public life in being compliant with provisions of the Act as it continues the implementation of Grenada’s Integrity and Anti-corruption System.
