PNP youth arm joins call for Wheatley to resign from Cabinet after IC report

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The young professional affiliate of the People’s National Party (PNP), PNP Patriots, has joined the call for Dr Andrew Wheatley to immediately resign from the Cabinet following findings outlined in a recent Integrity Commission (IC) investigation report.

The report, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, recommends that Wheatley be charged with illicit enrichment. The Integrity Commission concluded that the St Catherine South Central Member of Parliament possessed assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings, amounting to approximately $164 million, and was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the discrepancy.

Wheatley has strongly rejected the report’s findings, issuing a detailed statement in which he accused investigators of disregarding evidence that he believes would have significantly altered the outcome of the investigation.

READ:WHEATLEY’S WOES

PNP President Mark Golding immediately called for Wheatley’s removal from the Cabinet. The PNP Patriots are now echoing that position, arguing that the findings leave the minister with no choice but to step aside.

In a statement on Thursday, PNP Patriots President Paul Blake said Wheatley should not remain a Cabinet member while the report is before Parliament.

“Let me make this unequivocally clear: Dr Andrew Wheatley must not remain in the Cabinet of Jamaica while an Integrity Commission report before Parliament exposes grave concerns regarding unexplained assets, statutory declarations and non-compliance with lawful information requests,” he said.

“Public office is a duty, not a private privilege. Jamaica demands leaders who act with unwavering integrity, whose loyalty is solely to the Jamaican people, and who recognise that accountability is a non-negotiable obligation,” Blake continued.

Blake argued that the issue extends beyond Wheatley and raises questions about governance and accountability within the administration.

“The prime minister must be accountable for the political culture he perpetuates within the Jamaica Labour Party. Repeated questions about integrity involving his government members cannot be dismissed by silence or delay without implicating him in complicity. The prime minister cannot claim to champion good governance while allowing individuals under serious integrity investigations to remain protected by Cabinet status,” he said.

The group also called on Prime Minister Andrew Holness to remove Wheatley from the Cabinet if he does not resign voluntarily.

“Anything less signals a disregard for justice and only reinforces the belief that cronyism prevails, birds of a feather flock together. Jamaica deserves a government that does not shelter scandal. Jamaica demands transparent leadership, honest service and officials committed to putting the country above personal gain,” Blake added.

Meanwhile, General Secretary Davalle Grant pointed to previous statements by the prime minister in which Holness said he had searched “far and wide” among his members and found no one under investigation for illicit enrichment.

“Today, one of two things must be true: either he was misled by members of his own administration or he misled the Jamaican people. Both possibilities are deeply troubling. This matter cannot and will not be swept under the rug. The prime minister owes the country a full and frank explanation,” Grant said.

He urged Holness to clarify whether any other members of the Government are currently under investigation for illicit enrichment.

The PNP Patriots said Parliament should treat the Integrity Commission report as a serious matter and called for action in response to its findings.