Eastern Caribbean leaders fail to address concerns of official corruption –US Report
From Antigua Observer
WASHINGTON, Mar 4 – Political leaders in the Eastern Caribbean (EC) have “largely failed” to address concerns of official corruption, according to a report released by the United States State Department.
It said the seven Eastern Caribbean countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines –host abundant transshipment points for illicit narcotics primarily from Colombia and Venezuela destined for North American, European and domestic Caribbean markets.
“Local and international law enforcement believe traffickers increasingly make use of yachts for drug transit, though “go-fast” boats, fishing trawlers, and cargo ships continue to be used. Drug transshipment through the Eastern Caribbean increased in 2013,” said the document titled “2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report”.
It said drug related violent crime remained high, but homicides decreased from 2012 and 2011. Many of the homicides resulted from turf wars between organized criminal groups fighting to control drug distribution.
Washington said that four years of declining macroeconomic growth has left EC law enforcement capacity increasingly beleaguered, even when compared with the bleak situation described in past reports.
“EC governments have made some improvements to still largely antiquated criminal codes. Political leaders, however, have largely failed to address public concerns of official corruption,” the report said, noting that in 2013, regional political leaders approved a comprehensive strategic law enforcement plan under the aegis of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).
But Washington said national strategic law enforcement plans, including comprehensive vetting programmes, remain largely unaddressed, however, creating a serious vulnerability to narcotics corruption.
It said that as a matter of policy EC governments do not encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions.
“No senior government officials in the Eastern Caribbean were prosecuted for engaging in or facilitating the illicit production or distribution of controlled drugs or laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. Nonetheless, U.S. analysts believe drug trafficking organizations elude law enforcement through bribery, influence, or coercion.”
It said that all the EC countries have made use of the Regional Security System (RSS) polygraph vetting programme, funded under Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), though the programme does not provide complete coverage for all law enforcement personnel.
Washington said it was encouraging the Eastern Caribbean countries to embrace CBSI partnership and to fulfill their monetary commitments to sustain the RSS.
“The United States also encourages the region’s governments to study Jamaica’s example in instituting new laws and policies to build robust anti-corruption programmes that provide greater accountability to the public.
“The United States further encourages the seven nations to pass legislation to modernise their criminal codes—making use of regional best practices in fighting transnational organized crime—and lauds Dominica and St. Lucia in their progress in this area.”
Washington said it was drawing special attention to the need to implement civil forfeiture provisions to turn the proceeds of crime into a weapon against traffickers and applauded Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines for enacting such legislation.
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