Pressure is mounting on Jamaica’s government after the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) joined a growing coalition of business groups, civil society organizations, and church leaders urging Prime Minister Andrew Holness to remove Dr. Andrew Wheatley from the Cabinet pending the outcome of allegations raised by the Integrity Commission.
The call follows the Integrity Commission’s recommendation that Wheatley face criminal charges related to alleged illicit enrichment and other offences.
- Advertisement -
In a recent statement issued, the PSOJ argued that temporarily relieving Wheatley of his duties as Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister would help preserve public confidence in Jamaica’s governance institutions while the matter proceeds through the appropriate legal channels.
According to the organization, such a move would safeguard the integrity of public office and reinforce confidence in the country’s systems of accountability and oversight.
The PSOJ noted that allegations involving senior public officials inevitably attract significant public attention and emphasized that confidence in Jamaica’s governance framework depends on credible, transparent, and independent institutions being allowed to function without compromise.
While advocating for Wheatley’s removal from the Cabinet, the organization also underscored the importance of respecting due process. It reaffirmed its support for the Integrity Commission and Jamaica’s legal and constitutional framework, stressing that every individual remains entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
The business group reiterated its longstanding commitment to promoting high standards of governance, transparency, accountability, and integrity across both the public and private sectors, describing those principles as essential to maintaining investor confidence, protecting Jamaica’s international reputation, and fostering sustainable economic growth.
The PSOJ further warned that Jamaica has made significant progress in strengthening its governance architecture over recent years and said that preserving public trust requires consistent adherence to the rule of law and accountability at every level of government.
The organization’s intervention adds to increasing public pressure on the Holness administration, as several civic organizations and religious groups have similarly called for Wheatley to step aside until the allegations against him are fully resolved through the judicial process.
