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A large percentage of the public officials who have so far submitted declarations of their assets and liabilities will soon be asked to submit additional particulars, Chairman of the Integrity Commission Kumar Doraisami disclosed yesterday.

“…[The] majority of them will have to supply more particulars in respect to their assets,” Doraisami told Stabroek News.

He said over the last few weeks, he and fellow commissioners—attorney Rosemary BenjaminNoble and Pandit Rabindranath Persaud— have been examining a growing pile of declarations forms.

So far, the commission has made three lists of noncompliant officials public and many of them have since submitted their forms. Officials would have also submitted their forms prior to the commencement of the publication of names. The most recent list identifies regional officials who have not complied with their obligations under the Integrity Commission Act.

According to the Integrity Commission Act, every person who is a person in public life, not being a member of the Commission, is required to file a declaration every year on or before June 30th and in cases where such persons cease to be a person in public life, within 30 days from the date on which the person ceases to be a person in public life.

“A declaration under subsection (I) or (2) shall give full, true and complete particulars of the assets and liabilities as on the relevant date, and the income during a period of twelve months immediately prior to the relevant date, of the person filling the declaration (whether the assets were held by that person in his own name or in the name of any other person) and of the spouse and children of such person to the extent to which such person has knowledge of the same,” it further states.

While noting that the commission has not completed its review of all the submissions, Doraisami stressed that based on what they have seen thus far, “there are issues.” Doraisami explained that the commission wants more particulars in a case where, for example, a property is mentioned. “We don’t know the acquisition cost. We don’t know the value now, so we will need those things in order to make an assessment of their (the properties’) worth,” he added.

He also said the letters requesting the additional information are being drafted and should be finalised and sent out to the respective declarants soon.

Additionally, he said that in the coming year the commission is looking to hire investigators. “In my estimation, we need at least ten,” he noted, before adding that at the moment the commission is looking at its budgetary allocations. “We want to have investigators [but] we haven’t had money for that. We are now trying to budget for that because without investigators we are not really going anywhere,” he explained.

Stabroek News was unable to ascertain the amount of declarations rec be

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