Prime Minister Holness threatens lawsuit against PNP members

Jamaica’s Prime Minister and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Dr. Andrew Holness, has directed his legal team to take action against senior members of the People’s National Party (PNP) for making “false and defamatory statements” regarding his knowledge of an Integrity Commission probe into alleged illicit enrichment.

In a press release, JLP Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, a member of the party’s communication taskforce, stated, “Should they not take the appropriate action, lawsuits will be filed against the PNP members who made the false statements and without any credible basis defamed the prime minister concerning the question of when he came into awareness of an illicit enrichment probe.”

Fitz-Henley further emphasized that Prime Minister Holness had been truthful when he told the media on August 17, 2023, that he was unaware of any JLP member being contacted by the Integrity Commission regarding an investigation into illicit enrichment.

“The prime minister and party leader takes his reputation seriously and will not allow members of the PNP to attempt to use false and malicious statements to destroy his character in their desperate bid for political power,” Fitz-Henley added.

Holness’ attorneys from the law firm Henlin Gibson Henlin issued a statement on Thursday with the headline, ‘The Prime Minister did not lie’, which was signed by attorney Georgia Gibson Henlin KC.

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The attorneys outlined that none of the communication via letters from the IC referenced section 14(5) of the CPA/Judge’s Rule Notice or the words “illicit enrichment.”

Further, Holness’ legal team said the timeline it presented confirms that the prime minister did not lie when he said on August 17, 2023, that he was not aware of the investigation.

The JLP’s press release also raised concerns over what they described as “the appearance that members of the PNP have unique access to information from the Integrity Commission.”

Additionally, the JLP called on the PNP to address recent reports indicating that at least five of their members, including a senior official, are currently under investigation for illicit enrichment. “The party restates its call for the PNP to indicate how it will address a revelation in a recent newspaper report,” the statement concluded.

Read more: Prime Minister Holness’ net worth grew by $51.5m over five years, Integrity Commission reports