TT Transparency hits ACIB realignment: Public trust undermined

Attorney General John Jeremie. - File photo

THE Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) has expressed strong opposition to the recent decision to re-align the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) under the Office of the Attorney General, arguing that the move undermines public trust and may introduce political interference in anti-corruption investigations.

The ACIB was moved to the TT Police Service’s purview in 2019 after calls by DPP Roger Gaspard and the TTTI for the change.

However, government moved the ACIB back under the AG’s purview amid gazetted changes to some ministers’ responsibilities a week ago.

It was left out of the initial gazette notice and only mentioned in a subsequent erratum which noted the ACIB should have been published as a government department under the AG’s Office.

In a media release on October 10, TTTI said the ACIB, which is responsible for investigating corruption-related offences such as bribery and misbehaviour in public office, has already been plagued by instability and resource shortages.

It added that the repeated shifting of the ACIB’s oversight, from the AG’s office to the Commissioner of Police (CoP), has weakened its operational effectiveness and independence.

The TTTI pointed out that placing the ACIB under the AG’s office and the TT Police Service each presents challenges.

“Placing the ACIB under the AG creates a clear conflict of interest, as the government would be overseeing potential investigations into its own members.

“Similarly, placing ACIB under the CoP poses its own conflict of interest as police officers are no less subject to allegations of corruption and political bias.”

Nonetheless, TTTI called the re-alignment “a regressive step” and warned that it could further erode public confidence in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.

“The fight against corruption demands an enforcement body that is fully independent, adequately resourced, and completely insulated from political oversight.”

The institute pointed to a 2015 report from a joint select committee of Parliament which outlined a framework for the bureau’s operations.

It urged the government to adopt the recommendations of that Committee which suggested the ACIB be established as a fully independent entity, separate from both the AG’s Office and the TTPS.

“This model is the global standard for effective anti-corruption agencies, ensuring operational autonomy, budgetary independence, and investigative impartiality.”

Additionally, the TTTI stressed the need for specialized resources, including forensic accountants, cybercrime experts, and legal professionals, to support investigations into complex white-collar crimes.

The institute also called for protected, non-political funding to ensure that the ACIB’s operations are not affected by political influence or executive discretion.