Hot line created for tips about official corruption
(CNS): Government officials have now established what they say is a secure and confidential phone line 928-1747 to enable people to report alleged acts of official corruption, to provide tips or to make complaints tobe passed on to the Anti-Corruption Commission. The commission was established under the anti-corruption law, which came into effect in January 2010, and is chaired by the commissioner of police. Its goal is to examine complaints of government corruption committed by anyone serving in a public role, from statutory board members to police officers. Although not established under the new constitution, the constitutional secretariat is now supporting the commission and has become the face of public contact for it.
The anti-corruption commission members include the auditor general, the complaints commissioner and two non public servants – currently Sir Peter Allen and Leonard Ebanks. It is also understood that the police have one officer dedicated to investigating corruption and a second was expected at the start of this year.
The attorney general recently issued a warning to everyone serving on government and statutory boards in the Cayman Islands to pay close attention to the law as he said it will have a very significant impact, not just on public officials, but on the private sector and general public that work or engage with public officials. The law covers a range of offences, from bribery of public officers and members of the Legislative Assembly, frauds on government, contractors subscribing to election funds, breach of trust by public officials and members of the Legislative Assembly, abuse of office, bribing foreign public officials and conflict of interest, among other things.
So far since the commission’s creation almost one year ago it is believed to have met only three times and has not made any public revelations about its work or if any complaints have been made, despite its goal to be a gatekeeper against official corruption. However, the secrecy surrounding the commission so far may be broken soon as it is expected to begin a public information campaign shortly. In the meantime, the secretariat is acting as a point of contact for initial queries about the commission and the new hotline also gives the public a chance to report concerns confidentially.
The Commissions Secretariat, which is now a year old, is also supporting the Human Rights, the Constitutional, the Judicial and Legal Services and the Standards for Public Life commissions, which were all established by the constitution. “Each commission has unique responsibilities and challenges,” said Commissions Secretariat Manager Deborah Bodden. “We are still very much in the infancy of our development, and are only now really beginning to understand the impact that the constitution will have on the lives of the people of the Cayman Islands.”
To date, the staff has been engaged in laying the framework for the commissions, work that has entailed researching best-practices, developing policies and procedures, and identifying goals and focus areas. Although she said that public education is akey objective and that three of the commissions now have websites, the anti-corruption commission does not yet have an internet presence.
Bodden stated that public feedback remains vital, however, and encouraged the public to remain involved by asking questions and providing feedback on all areas of the constitution and the new commissions, which impact them in some way. She asked people to contact the secretariat, not the respective commission members, to make enquiries, complaints or requests relating to any of the commissions. “This is important because the commissioners are all volunteers and have other private responsibilities,” Bodden explained. “However, the Secretariat staff members work full-time to support them.”
To contact the Commissions Secretariat, call 244-3685 or fax 945-8649; visit their offices at the Smith Road Centre, or email deborah.bodden@gov.ky. Information on the commissions can also be found on the following new websites: www.humanrightscommission.ky; www.standardsinpubliclifecommission.ky; and www.knowyourconstitution.ky.
For more on this topic, read Milestone in transparency, a viewpoint by Tim Ridley.
Category: Local News
A cell number that is secure and confidential huh………interesting !
Who will accept complaints on the AG or CoP?
The new constitution promised a chance to grow as a nation. But the UDP have perverted government at every chance, gathering as much power and money unto themselves without making any real, positive difference in the lives of the residents of these islands.
They behave as wild pigs tearing apart and feeding on the carcass of what “should have been”, stuffing themselves to the point of exhaustion with what rightly belongs to us all.
There’s not an official among them that doesn’t deserve to be sacked, tarred and feathered and sent out to sea in a leaky lifeboat.
XXXX To date no-one has been serious in applying the law and the corruption commission had not even had a meeting in a year since the law was implemented. Sad Sad Sad when a nation cannot stand by its ethics and honesty in even applying the laws. Start by investigating election fraud and corruption and the buying of votes XXXX
Another Commission, another waste of public funds!
Has anyone else heard the rumour that Mac is going to give away Public Beach (SMB) to Dart in exchange for Barkers? (If he hasn’t already)
Surely that is not true. People sure will make up crazy stuff to make him look bad, eh!? Or, where there’s smoke there’s fire? Not sure which but I’d like to think that this would really push the limits of the people. (Finally)
I hope something will push us to act soon before it’s too late.
PS. If this isn’t true, I don’t mean to stir it up. But Mac did just give Dart the Courtyard beach and that segment of WB Rd so….
Um, no. A private land owner sold Dart the Courtyard Marriott and a private land owner sold Dart undeveloped land along WB Road. I dislike Mac as much as the next guy, but things like this allow him and his supporters to say legitimate criticisms are also fallacies, so please stop, even with your feigned "I didn’t mean to stir it up".
Ummm, so who is paying to have the road diverted??? (Finally getting WB cut off from the rest of the island.
And you didn’t address the public beach give a way.
Ummm… but thanks for your feigned information.
1. Road has not yet been diverted, or even confirmed that it will be diverted and at whose expense.
2. There is also no information about the WB Public Beach except a small amount of marl road gossip. I think most people know that a politician could never actually get away with selling it, so I consider this rumour to be rubbish and that is why I did not address it.
3. I don’t have to address your entire post in my reply. My intention was to point out inaccuracies and their potential effect. I corrected your piece of mis-information because you were attempting to link that "fact" to what you consider the likelihood of the above happening.
4. Actually, my information was the opposite of "feigned", it is fact. Kindly consult a dictionary before huffily using big words that someone else has used.
That wasn’t me Huffy Dawg!
I genuinely wanted to know about the gossip. So thanks for your details.
Appreciated!
@ Anonymous 12:25;
“1. Road has not yet been diverted, or even confirmed that it will be diverted and at whose expense.”
..the premier has said that his government is prepared to move the road for the developer so the new hotel will be a beach front resort.
Does this confirm that Mac will cover this expense himself personally??!!?!?!
Do the thumbs down mean it is indeed a rumor or wha?
I guess only time will tell
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! How far back can they go? Are we now going to get a proper investigation into all that money Operation Tempura spent? Maybe an investigation into the Yates/Bridger/Polaine/BGP relationship? XXXXX
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. XXXXXX?
Is this, like, Bo? Selectah? Hear me now? E’ryting irie? Holla?Swallow back? Big up yerself? Comin’ atcha like Cleopatra? Keep it real? Recognize? Represent? Or have I got it quite wrong?
I speak Xhosa, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Greek, Ebonics, Arabic,Creole, Tagalog and English too, and I’m still in the dark. I never was good at acronyms, they always seem to have too many possible interpretations.
ROTFLMAO – Rolling on the floor laughing my arse off!
It’s not exactly uncommon. google it.
CQTM
This is probably a step in the right direction but the Commission has a huge public education task in front of them. By way of example, is there such a thing as an ongoing offence under this law and if so under what circumstances does it occur? I have looked at the law and it is not entirely clear.
By way of a hypothetical example, if I have been a sitting legislator for more than 10 years and something like 10 years ago I agreed to assist a real estate developer in getting a huge development approved and coincidentally (of course) the developer just happened to agree to give an exclusive real estate deal to a member of my immediate family, should that be reported to the Commission? Apart from the fact that I will rain vengeance on anyone who questions what I have done or do now, the deal was made 10 years ago and it is not clear to me that just because my immediate relative continues to receive the benefit of that coincidence that I have done anything wrong.
What about ongoing duty concessions and cut price condos. If a condo transaction was years ago but the public purse continues to suffer because of the ongoing duty concessions, should someone report that to the Commission?
How can the commissioner be incharge of this? Who will investigate an offence that he might be involve in?
27 years too late!
Where is the hotline on Labour Law complaints?
That is going to be one busy hotline. XXXX
ok this how I see this Anti Corruption Commission from the outside looking in:
The members are made up of the Audtior General, the Complaints Commissioner and two private citizens. The problem I see with this set up is:
1. The Complaints Commissioners role is to complain on all Govt. entities, but when you complain to them about the POLICE they advise you to go to the Police own complaints dept. because that’s the relationship they have with them and that the Professional Standards Unit deals with the Police complaints. So how are we the people expected to file a complaint with the Anti corruption Commission when this member is telling you to go to the Police to complain about the Police, but they also sit on the Anti Corruption Commission for you to complain about the Police. What part of this equation is the public suppose to comprehend?? Is this another run around situation to avoid the publics interest on anti corruption actions of the police. Sounds like a merry-g-round to me!!
2. Since the new Auditor General has taken office, he has been a silent as a church mouse, at least Dan Duquay was always informing us about what’s going on. So has the silent treatment virsus been airborne in his office now?? How is this going to assist the public when it appears MOM’s the word from that dept.?? Clearly all another merry-go-round!!
3. XXXX
I am so confused about this whole matter I think I will go take a pill and go take a nap, and hopefully when I awake this picture anti corruption before me will be seen more clearly, because I don’t get it and I know many of you out there don’t either.
Perhaps the link is wrong, but the http://www.standardsforpubliclifecommission.ky/ does not work. Great start!
CNS: I have fixed the link. Sorry about that.