Lothan Cousins urges swift action after public servant ignores parliamentary summons

Opposition Member of Parliament Lothan Cousins has pressed for firm consequences after a senior public servant failed to appear before a parliamentary committee despite being served with a summons.

Addressing the chairman and fellow members, Cousins said the Westminster tradition demands honour, decency, accountability and transparency from those who hold public office. He argued that anyone who treats parliamentary authority with open contempt should either resign immediately or be removed by the bodies empowered to do so.

Anything less, he warned, would disrespect the Parliament of Jamaica, the work of the Auditor General, and citizens who fund government through their taxes. Cousins added that the individual should never again be permitted to serve in that post or in any comparable capacity.

He cautioned that a weak response would open the door to further defiance and weaken oversight work across the public sector. The minister responsible for appointing the relevant board, he said, must move decisively, noting that the situation had reached a dangerous point.

Cousins said he was deeply troubled by how events had unfolded. While he was not surprised given the official’s earlier posture, he had expected that being formally summoned would have prompted attendance at Tuesday’s sitting.

Echoing remarks from member Bunting, he rejected any attempt to soften the issue. Cousins said he had stated his position clearly and that the ministry must send an unmistakable signal on accountability. He closed by saying he had nothing further to add on the matter.