The Integrity Commission has recommended that Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central Dr Andrew Wheatley be charged with illicit enrichment.
Investigators concluded that Wheatley owned approximately $164 million in assets that were way above what he could've earned legally. And when they asked him to explain where the money came from, they say he didn't give a satisfactory answer.
The recommendation is contained in an investigation report that was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. The report looked at Wheatley's statutory declarations from 2010 to 2022 and his financial affairs over a 10-year period.
According to the report, between 2013 and 2022, Wheatley acquired or owned assets that couldn't be matched with his known lawful income. The unexplained gap came to about $164 million.
“The DI concludes that Dr Wheatley acquired/owns assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings relevant period (2013 to 2022) in the amount of approximately one hundred and sixty-four million dollars ($164,000,000), and when given the opportunity to provide an explanation as to how he came by said assets, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation,” the report stated.
The investigation also found that Wheatley didn't fully cooperate with requests for information from the Integrity Commission. He also left out assets and liabilities from statutory declarations he filed with the commission.
Investigators said some of those omissions were in declarations submitted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2021. Among other things, Wheatley failed to disclose at least five loans, an investment in a company where he was both director and shareholder, and full details on a number of properties.
The investigators also looked at about $595 million in deposits that went into four personal bank accounts held by Wheatley. They found that roughly $168 million of that remained unexplained after accounting for deposits that were verified or satisfactorily explained.
The report also raised concerns about tax compliance. It noted that Wheatley filed nil tax returns for 2011 and 2012 for a business called Western Medical, even though there was evidence the business was operating during that period and, according to his own evidence, earned up to about $26 million. Investigators also flagged issues with his personal income tax filings.
Based on these findings, the Integrity Commission's Director of Investigation recommended that the matter be referred to the Director of Corruption Prosecution for consideration of charges relating to illicit enrichment, false declarations, and failure to provide information.
Wheatley is currently the Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects. He's been a prominent figure in Jamaican politics for years, serving in various ministerial roles.
The referral to the Director of Corruption Prosecution means it'll now be up to that office to decide whether to formally charge Wheatley. If charges are filed, it'd be a major development in Jamaica's anti-corruption efforts.
The Director of Corruption Prosecution will review the investigation report and decide whether there's enough evidence to bring charges. If charges are laid, Wheatley'd have to face the courts.