PRIVACY CRY – Gov’t seeks to block IC’s access to personnel files in health ministry corruption probe; commission says mandate at risk |
Publish Date: 2026-05-24 00:58:00
Source Domain: jamaica-gleaner.com
The Government has moved to court to prevent the Integrity Commission from compelling the Ministry of Health and Wellness to produce eight employment files as part of its investigation into alleged corruption linked to the Jamaica-Cuba Eye Care Programme.
The commission has warned that the Government’s move could cripple corruption investigations across government, but the attorney general insists it is about protecting the constitutional privacy rights of public officers.
Filed in the Supreme Court on March 23, the case pits the attorney general – the State’s principal legal officer – and Ministry of Health and Wellness Permanent Secretary Errol Greene against the Integrity Commission and its director of investigations, Kevon Stephenson.
The Government is seeking permission to apply for judicial review – a process through which a court examines whether a public authority acted lawfully and within its powers. The matter was last heard on May 15 before Justice Sonya Wint-Blair and will continue on June 11, according to the Court Administration Division.
While the dispute centres on eight personnel files, the case has emerged as part of a broader constitutional battle over the scope of the Integrity Commission’s investigative powers and how far it can go in compelling government agencies to produce sensitive records.
It joins a growing list of legal challenges from public officials, state agencies and politically connected figures contesting aspects of the IC’s operations since its establishment as the country’s principal anti-corruption agency in 2017.
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is separately before the courts seeking to strike down provisions of the Integrity Commission Act as part of his challenge to its investigation into his financial affairs. Junior Finance Minister Zavia Mayne also filed a case concerning his statutory declarations.
Parliament started reviewing the legislation, including proposals critics argue would weaken some of the commission’s…
