TWO Jamaicans living in the United States, and who say they have information linking prominent local officials to corruption and fraud, are being invited to contact the Integrity Commission and share what they know.

The two — Wilfred Rattigan, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who served across the world from 1987 to 2017 in several capacities in the bureau’s counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism and intelligence divisions; and Herb Nelson, who spent 24 years in the US military and more than 15 years in the US intelligence community — made the allegation during a virtual panel discussion on December 5 exploring how the Diaspora can assist in solving Jamaica’s crime problem.

However, both men, who are influential members of the Jamaican Diaspora community, had stated that even if they disclose what they know, nothing will be done.

“Myself and Special Agent Wilfred Rattigan have done some programmes where we speak about corruption, money laundering, and other issues that point directly to certain individuals high up in Parliament,” said Nelson.

“Now, we did everything except call names. What we are afraid of is something like [the other people on this forum have said], we beating our heads against a brick wall, because if we present evidence that people are corrupt then where is it going to go? Who is going to do something about it in Parliament? If it’s given to the Opposition and they are afraid to use it against the Government, where do you go in an instance like that where you have definitive proof and nobody wants to touch it?” Nelson asked.

In response, the commission, in an e-mailed response to the article carried by the Jamaica Observer last Wednesday, urged the men to contact the commission’s Director of Information and Complaints Craig Beresford “in confidence…at their earliest convenience”.

“We would wish to advise that Section 32 (1) of the Jamaica Integrity Commission Act requires the commission, among other things, to receive any complaint or information in relation to any allegation which involves or may involve an act of corruption. Once received, the complaint or information will be treated with strict confidence and will be appropriately interrogated,” the commission said in the communication.

The commission is chaired by retired jurist Justice Seymour Panton. Commissioners are Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis; retired jurist Justice Lloyd Hibbert; taxation expert and chartered accountant Eric Crawford; and business, financial and leadership consultant H Wayne Powell. Former Contractor General Greg Christie is executive chairman.

The Integrity Commission is a Commission of Parliament created through a merger of the former Office of the Contractor General, which had the primary responsibility of ensuring that government procurement procedures and the issuance of government licences and permits were free of impropriety and irregularity; the former Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, to which public officials were required to file their income, asset and liability statements annually; and the former Integrity Commission (Parliamentary), to which Parliamentarians were required to file their income, asset and liability statements annually.

— Alicia Dunkley-Willis