DPP withdraws case against Peralto, Wallace
THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday withdrew its case against Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) chairman, Senator Ryan Peralto and former JLP Senator Brian Wallace, who were charged with breaches of the Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act for failing to submit their annual financial statements, while they were members of the Senate.
But they have been warned that should they breach the law on a second occasion, even if they file their declarations late, they could once again be brought before the courts.
When both men appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court yesterday, attorney Lambert Johnson, who represented the DPP, explained that they had, since last month when they were summoned, filed their returns. This led the Integrity Commission to recommend to the DPP that he should use his discretion and withdraw the charges.
As members of the Senate, Peralto and Wallace had failed to submit their annual financial statements to the Integrity Commission which, as stipulated in law, has the responsibility to require yearly declarations from members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and take action if the information is not forthcoming.
When Peralto and Wallace failed to submit their declarations, the Commission informed the DPP, who ruled that they be slapped with charges and taken before the criminal court.
Over the years parliamentarians have been delinquent in complying with the law, but police sources said this was the first case of its kind to be brought before a resident magistrate since the law was introduced in 1973.