IC: Cabinet Minister Andrew Wheatley to be charged with illicit enrichment

Cabinet Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley is to be charged with four offences, including illicit enrichment, after a probe found assets allegedly disproportionate to his lawful earnings by more than $164 million, the Integrity Commission’s corruption prosecutor has ruled.

The disclosure came in a report tabled in the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon. 

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.

Documents tabled in Parliament Wednesday show the Commission's Director of Corruption Prosecution also recommended charges of knowingly making false statements in statutory declarations, one count covering 2013 to 2017 and another covering 2018 to 2022, along with a charge for failing to provide information requested by the Commission's Director of Information and Complaints. 

The investigation report separately flags tax compliance concerns tied to a medical business Wheatley once owned and recommends that finding be referred to the Tax Administration's Commissioner General.

Director of Investigations (DI) Kevon Stephenson probe the matter and referred his report to the corruption prosecutor who recommended the charges.

Wheatley is a senior politician from the governing Jamaica Labour Party who serves as Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, responsible for science, technology and special projects. 

He is the Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central. 

Wheatley, a scientist, previously served as Minister of Science, Technology and Mining. He 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.  

Lawmakers have been facing public scrutiny in recent years after the commission disclosed three years ago, in its 2022-2023 annual report to Parliament, that six parliamentarians were being investigated for illicit enrichment. In 2025, the IC said the number of probes had increased to eight. It's not clear how many of the cases remain under investigation. 

In 2024, the commission also disclosed conducted an illicit enrichment probe into the prime minister. But it said the investigation could not be completed because Holness refused to provide certain information, a claim Holness has rejected. The IC referred certain matters to the Financial Investigations Division.

Holness has denied any wrongdoing and is pursuing a Supreme Court challenge against the report, the Integrity Commission Act, and the constitutionality of the illicit enrichment provision in the Corruption Prevention Act. 

Investigation Conclusions - Dr Andrew Wheatley

1.  The DI concludes that Dr Wheatley, was, by virtue of being a Member of Parliament, legally obligated to file statutory declarations with the Commission for the period 2011 to 2022. 

2. The DI concludes that Dr Wheatley acquired/owns assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings relevant period (2013 to 2022) in the amount of approximately one hundred and sixty-four million dollars ($164,000,000), and when given the opportunity to provide an explanation as to how he came by said assets, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. 

3. The DI further concludes that Dr Wheatley’s owning assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings, contravenes section 14(5) of the CPA (Corruption Prevention Act) 

4. The DI concludes that Dr Wheatley’s failure to provide information to the DoIC (Director of Information and Complaints) concerning his statutory declarations for the years 2018 and 2019 contravened the relevant provisions of the ICA (Integrity Commission Act).

5. The DI concludes that Dr Wheatley having filed his statutory declarations for the relevant period, failed to include in them, at least five (5) loans held in his name, his investment (by way of a down payment on land at Stilwell) in Prosperity, a company in which he is a Director and shareholder, and full particulars of twenty (20) properties (East Kirkland Heights(Stirling Castle)] solely and/or jointly owned by him at the material time, contrary to the ICA and PIMA (Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act).

Director of Corruption Prosecutor Recommendations

The Commission's Director of Corruption Prosecution, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(b) of the Integrity Commission Act, has reviewed the subject Report and, upon careful consideration, it was determined that Dr. Andrew Wheatley is to be charged for the offences of: 

1. Knowingly makes a false statement in a Statutory Declaration, contrary to section 15(1)(b) of the Parliamentary Integrity of Members Act, 1973, for the period 2013-2017

2. Knowingly makes a false statement in a Statutory Declaration; contrary to section 43(2)(a) of the Integrity Commission Act, 2017, for the period 2018-2022

3. Failing, without reasonable cause, to provide any information as the Director of Information and Complaints on require; contrary to section 43(1) (b) of the Integrity Commission Act, 2017

4. Illicit Enrichment, contrary to section 14(5) of the Corruption Prevention Act, 2001.

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