Charges recommended over Wheatley asset probe 

Between 2013 and 2022, Cabinet Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley had approximately $164 million in assets that were disproportionate to his lawful sources of income over the nine-year period, an investigation by Jamaica’s main anti-corruption body has revealed.

In a report tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the Integrity Commission (IC) ruled that Wheatley, the de facto science and technology minister, be charged for illicit enrichment and other alleged breaches of the country’s anti-corruption laws over the period 2010 to 2022.

Illicit enrichment primarily refers to public officials owning assets disproportionate to their lawful earnings who fail to provide a satisfactory explanation when investigated by the Integrity Commission.

The director of corruption prosecution at the IC also determined that Wheatley, the member of parliament for St Catherine South Central, be charged for knowingly making a false statement in his statutory declarations for the period 2013 to 2017 and 2018 to 2022 and failing, without reasonable cause, to provide information requested by the IC’s director of information and complaints.

Wheatley has, however, rejected the report as "patently false, inaccurate and grossly misleading”.

In a statement issued shortly after the IC’s report was tabled, Wheatley said he was "amazed" at the report, adding that he “strongly and categorically rejects as patently false, grossly misleading and inaccurate the allegations by the director of investigations (DI)”.

According to the Cabinet minister, the director "clearly decided not to take into account approximately $168 million in rental income which [was] lawfully accumulated and declared over the nine years”, and also failed to factor in roughly $50 million in loan repayments tied to his real estate business.

The alleged infractions, which include omissions of loans, property subdivisions and corporate shares, come nine months after Wheatley returned to Cabinet.

The DI concluded that Wheatley acquired/owned assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings to the relevant period (2013 to 2022) in the amount of approximately $164 million.

The IC said Wheatley failed to provide an explanation that satisfactorily accounted for how he acquired them under the Corruption (Prevention) Act.

Wheatley also failed to include certain assets in his statutory declarations for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2021, the IC said.

The IC said Wheatley was also found to be a director and shareholder in Prosperity Realtors Company Limited and, although he noted a downpayment for land owned by the company in his 2019 declaration, he did not officially declare his investment or shares in the company.

Wheatley also co-acquired property at East Kirkland Heights which, although declared as “land”, was subdivided into 20 strata lots/apartments in 2013 and 2014. However his declaration failed to reflect the subdivision, development or the individual sales of these lots during those years, the IC said.

The IC also said Wheatley failed to declare five commercial loans totalling tens of millions of dollars obtained from the Bank of Nova Scotia across 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2021.

The DI also concluded that Wheatley’s filing of nil tax returns for the years 2011 and 2012 — in respect of Western Medical in circumstances where that entity was engaged in business and, from Wheatley’s evidence, earned up to approximately $26 million — and his failure to file personal income tax returns, pose tax compliance concerns.

Wheatley, a scientist who previously served as minister of science, technology and mining, resigned from his Cabinet position in July 2018 amid controversies and investigations concerning the operations of the state-owned oil refinery, Petrojam.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness reappointed Wheatley to the Cabinet following the September 2025 general election.

karen.madden@gleanerjm.com