Holding Officials Accountable

Retired Integrity Commission Acting Director of Corruption Prosecution, Dirk Harrison is tackling the corruption issue in the island. According to him, officials must adopt and embrace best practices when carrying out their responsibilities and be held accountable by a local governing body.

Speaking at the the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Anti Fraud Conference, he said those in authority must observe high level of integrity, ethical behaviour and respect, and avoid corrupt practices.

“We can teach individuals what is right and what is wrong but we cannot decide the path people take. We can however advise impressionable ones – youth and those who are not so impressionable that they are consequences for the choices they have made whether ethical or unethical. The consequences are punishment or reward depending on the path they take,” he explained.

He went further to note that there  is a need to develop a governance structure that facilitates citizenship participation and  partnership.

“One of the paths that we should pursue as we go forward is identify the issue, determine if there are problems and consider if there are fundamental problems, which goes further to the root of the issues,” he said.

Also at the Anti Fraud conference was the Head of the Anti Trafficking in Persons Vice Squad Deputy Superintendent of Police, Carl Berry. He made a call for those present to refrain from corrupt practices and behaviour.

KHADIJAH THOMAS