Magnitude 3.9 earthquake shakes eastern Jamaica as minister challenges integrity report

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck at 11:45 Sunday morning, 28 June 2026, with tremors reported across Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and Portland. The Earthquake Unit said the epicentre lay roughly five kilometres northeast of Golden Spring in St. Andrew. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management has not reported injuries or damage. Officials noted the event came days after major quakes near Caracas, Venezuela, and reminded residents to follow earthquake safety guidance.

Cabinet minister Dr. Andrew Wheatley has taken the Integrity Commission to the Supreme Court after it recommended charges, including illicit enrichment, tied to his statutory declarations. Papers filed Friday seek judicial review to quash the report, block prosecution and halt action by the commission and acting director of corruption prosecution until the matter is heard. Wheatley said, "I have every intention of protecting my reputation," adding that his lawyers would show he is innocent and that the findings are inaccurate. The case names commission investigators and prosecutors among the respondents.

In St. Mary, police detained a man wanted over multiple sexual assaults after a near week-long manhunt by a fugitive apprehension team from St. Catherine South. Authorities said the suspect targeted victims through dating sites, recovered ammunition during the arrest in Epsom, and remains in custody amid reports of prior assault-related charges.

Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang rejected claims that third-country nationals under Jamaica's agreement with the United States have begun arriving. He said no such transfers have occurred and dismissed reports that a St. Mary Airbnb property would house them, warning that false information is harming a legitimate business.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness told members of the Jamaican diaspora in Guyana that long-term progress depends on stronger work culture and productivity, not growth alone. He cited expanded security spending and plans to modernise schools. The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce urged faster resolution of corruption cases, with President Emil Libo calling for conclusive outcomes within about nine months. National Housing Trust policy changes take effect 1 July, including deposit support of up to $2 million for young contributors buying on the open market.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said the Jamaica Constabulary Force Agricultural Protection Branch recorded a 458 per cent rise in arrests over its first year, climbing from 115 to 640, as the government expands traceability tools and prepares an agricultural wardens programme. Internationally, thousands of migrants, many from Malawi, are leaving South Africa ahead of a 30 June deadline linked to anti-immigrant pressure, with officials estimating 22,000 to 24,000 have already returned home.