Melville-Jack on integrity declarations: 'I'm not a delinquent'

PNM candidate for Scarborough/Mt Grace Marslyn Melville-Jack has denied being delinquent in filing her declarations and statements under the Integrity in Public Life Act. Melville-Jack, the secretary for the divisions of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour and Education, Innovation and Energy, was on a list of those – including other members of the Tobago House of Assembly – published in the newspapers last week for failing to submit declarations.Asked to explain the reason for the delay during a post-Executive Council media briefing on Wednesday, Melville-Jack said, “I am guilty of not having yet submitted my returns for 2020. I am aware, I saw someone sent me a clip of that...”Melville-Jack said she was working assiduously to complete the forms.

“That was because we pick those forms up very late from the Assembly Legislature. And as I speak, I am trying to get the financial institutions to return the information so that the form can be completed. And as soon as it is completed, it will be sent. “I am not delinquent. I have been doing this since 2017. and this is the first year that I have experienced this kind of delay. So know for sure that it will be done as soon as I receive the responses from the financial.”The commission released a statement on October 21 of people in public life who have not filed declarations of income, assets and liabilities and statements of registrable interests for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020,

Names on the list include Secretary of Health Tracy Davidson-Celestine, former chief secretary Kelvin Charles; Joel Jack, Finance and the Economy Secretary; former secretary in the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment Sheldon Cunningham; former secretary in the division of Food Production and Fisheries Hayden Spencer; former secretary in the Division of Sports and Youth Affairs Jomo Pitt; former assistant secretary in the Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour Shomari Hector; and former secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development Agatha Carrington.The list also includes assemblymen Watson Duke, Farley Augustine, Zorisha Hackett, Terance Baynes, Ian Pollard, Kelvon Morris and Dr Faith BYisrael.

Secretary for the Division of Public Utilities, Urban Renewal and Settlement Clarence Jacob and former secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation Nadine Stewart-Phillips are also named.