I sincerely hope that Andrew Wheatley is able to rebut the charges laid against him by the Integrity Commission.  And soon.  The trust in our leaders, already diminished, will decline catastrophically if suspicion festers for months and years as in other unresolved cases.

Continuing scepticism about NaARA, the Firearms Authority, the scandal at Stocks and Securities, the inadequate health sector, and the unspent “Rebuild” money, all work against the virtuous cultural revolution that the prime minister proposed to the diaspora last week.

Dr Wheatley must step aside from public office until he is vindicated. He does his repute no favour by bluffing it out. Doing so implies no admission or inference of guilt. It is an act of decency: a respect for the principles and traditions of parliamentary governance. He should not wait to be asked or pushed.   Jamaica is not a banana republic. Or are we?