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The director of investigation at Jamaica’s principal anti-corruption body, Kevon Stephenson, yesterday sent a single investigation report to Parliament for tabling.The Integrity Commission said it anticipates that the report, which was submitted pursuant to and in conformance with Section 54 of the Integrity Commission Act, will be tabled in both Houses of Parliament as soon as possible.Section 54(4) of the Integrity Commission Act provides that “Where the Report (from the Director of Investigation) to the Commission has a recommendation under subsection (3), the Commission shall submit it to Parliament for tabling … .”However, Gordon House advised lawmakers on Monday that Parliament was now on its summer recess.Traditionally, lawmakers rise towards the end of July and resume regular sittings in September.Noting that the House of Representatives was in recess until further notice, Gordon House said there would be no ordinary sittings of the House during this period unless Parliament is otherwise convened.During the recess, meetings of parliamentary committees are expected to continue as scheduled in accordance with notices issued by the respective committees.However, the Ethics Committee, which was scheduled to meet on Tuesday, had to scrap its meeting after failing to achieve a quorum.Chairperson of the committee Marlene Malahoo Forte and Frank Witter were the only two members who showed up yesterday. Approximately 20 minutes after the scheduled start of the meeting, Malahoo Forte asked that the sitting be terminated as it was one member short of a quorum.The committee had on its agenda exemption motions, codes of conduct for parliamentarians, and the roles and functions of the committee.Members who did not show up yesterday included Anthony Hylton, Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, Natalie Neita Garvey, Andrea Purkiss, and Krystal Lee.Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is scheduled to meet today to review the Auditor General’s Department’s Information Technology Audit report on the Support Jamaica Website for Hurricane Melissa Initiative.The committee is also expected to examine the Auditor General’s Compliance Audit report on governance and procurement activities relating to the distribution of Starlink devices for the Hurricane Melissa relief initiative.The audit revealed in February that the procurement of 200 Starlink devices was initiated by ministerial instruction from Daryl Vaz, minister of energy, transport and telecommunications, rather than by the director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.This was in breach of procurement rules.editorial@gleanerjm.com
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