US Flogs Jamaica’s Judiciary Over Anti-Corruption Record
The United States is accusing Jamaica’s judiciary of having what it calls a poor record of successfully prosecuting corruption cases against high-level law enforcement and government officials.
The US made the pronouncement in its 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released recently.
Jovan Johnson reports
The 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report notes that Jamaican law penalises official corruption.
It notes that as a matter of policy the government does not encourage or facilitate illegal activity associated with drug trafficking or the laundering of proceeds from illicit drug transactions.
However, the US claims that corruption remains entrenched and widespread.
According to the United States, the situation is compounded by the poor record of the judicial system in successfully prosecuting corruption cases against high-level law enforcement and government officials.
The report does not provide any statistics to support the claims.
Meanwhile, it states that the success of Jamaica’s law enforcement agencies, is limited by the chronic inability of prosecutors and the courts to keep pace and secure prompt convictions relating to drug and corruption related offenses.
Jamaica’s fight against corruption appears to have been reaping benefits recently as the country moved up 16 places on the 2015 Corruption Perception Index to be ranked 69 out of 168 countries.
There have also been attempts to strengthen laws to fight public corruption.
This is what happens when some individuals function as if they are impervious to all laws. It is not that the government and law enforcement officials align or associate themselves with the criminal elements, oftentimes, these said officials are the actual criminal elements. Don’t expect individuals to cut off their own limbs.
Thanks Portia for improving things, 2009 with JLP in power was the most corrupt year in Jamaica’s history while 2015 was Jamaica’s least corrupt year.
Suh who was in power from 2012 to 2014? did LPsuh
suh who was in power from 2012 to ’15? di JLP?
Tinan, I don’t even bother to break the government into PNP and JLP government; when it comes to corruption and holding individuals accountable, both parties leave a lot to desire.
Merica hav some nerve :marah Mother of all corruption ah point finga. Suh is who supply guns and support violence when dem did waan Manley lose di election tuh Seaga only because dem fear di relationship wid Manley and Castro would lead tuh another communist island…kmt