The Commission
The Commission is a constitutional body created by Sections 138 and 139 of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and established by Section 4 of the Integrity in Public Life Act (“the Act”).
Section 4 also provides for the membership of the Commission, that is to say, a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman and three (3) other members.
All Members of the Commission shall be persons of integrity and high standing and at least one (1) member shall be an Attorney-at-Law of at least ten (10) years’ experience and another shall be a Chartered or Certified Accountant.
Vision
The Integrity Commission of Trinidad and Tobago is the premier state institution for the promotion and preservation of integrity in all affairs, to make Trinidad and Tobago a corruption free society.
Mission
The Integrity Commission of Trinidad and Tobago and its team of dedicated professionals promote and facilitate the highest ethical standards by:
- Ensuring compliance with the Integrity in Public Life Act;
- Detecting and eradicating corrupt practices and dishonest conduct;
- Educating the public in an effort to eradicate corruption, improve governance and engender a national culture of integrity;
- Providing excellent customer service.
Powers and Functions
The Commission is comprised of three Units: Investigations, Compliance and Administration. These Units work to carry out those functions and exercise the powers specified in Section 5(1) (a) of the Act.
The Commission therefore:
- shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority [Section (2) (a)];
- may in all cases where it considers it appropriate to do so, make use of the services or draw upon the expertise of any law enforcement agency or the Public Service [Section 5 (2)(b)];
- may for specific projects or investigations enter into contracts for the services of persons having technical or specific knowledge of any matter relating to the work of the Commission (Section 40);
- shall have the power to authorize investigations, summon witnesses, require the production of any reports, documents, other relevant information, and to do all such things as it considers necessary or expedient for the purpose of carrying out its functions [Section 5(2)(c)].
For more information about who or what we can investigate, please see the ‘Jurisdiction’ Section.
English