PSOJ and church groups press Holness on Wheatley as PM defends US third-country national pact

Calls for Minister without Portfolio Dr. Andrew Wheatley to leave the cabinet are intensifying after the Integrity Commission recommended he face four charges, including illicit enrichment. Investigators reportedly found assets exceeding his lawful earnings by more than $164 million. The Director of Corruption Prosecution also recommended charges for knowingly making false statements in statutory declarations and failing to provide requested information. Tax compliance concerns tied to a former medical business have been referred to Tax Administration Jamaica. Wheatley has denied any wrongdoing.

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica said the seriousness of the allegations warrants careful consideration of Wheatley stepping aside until the matter is fully resolved, stressing that governance depends on transparency and accountability. The Jamaica Umbrella Groups of Churches went further, urging Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness to remove Wheatley or require him to step down pending proceedings. In a statement signed by chairman Bishop Dr. Rowan Notice and advocacy representative Bishop Alvin Bailey, the group said stepping aside would protect cabinet integrity without amounting to an admission of guilt.

Holness, meanwhile, pushed back against alarm over Jamaica's agreement to temporarily accept batches of 25 third-country nationals from the United States every two weeks. "I find it the panic around it is almost to the point of being ridiculous," he said, adding that Jamaica is not doing anything that 28 other countries, including others in the region, have not already done. He insisted the government was not coerced and that bilateral negotiations are typically conducted privately until agreements are finalized. Opposition Leader Mark Golding has not argued that Jamaica should reject the pact, but said it should not have surfaced through a news report and that he would have been cautious because of legal challenges to similar US agreements before American courts.

Separately, cybercriminals are hijacking WhatsApp accounts, impersonating users, and asking friends and relatives for money. In one case obtained by The Gleaner, a compromised account sought US$820, about $129,000 Jamaican, through Zelle. The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team is urging users to enable two-step verification, avoid sharing verification codes, review linked devices, and confirm unexpected money requests independently.

Education Minister Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said 2026 Primary Exit Profile results show measurable gains, with 69% of students proficient or above in mathematics, up from 57% in 2023 but one point below the 70% target. Language arts reached 72% proficiency or higher. Girls continued to outperform boys, and the ministry has formed a boys committee to develop strategies to close the gap.

Tributes have come from across the political divide following the death of former Attorney General, Justice Minister, and Senate President Professor Oswald "Ozzy" Harding, who died Wednesday at 90 after a period of illness. Harding was Jamaica's longest-serving senator and the first person to hold the Senate presidency during two non-consecutive terms.

Haiti and Curaçao were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after failing to advance from their groups. Haiti became the first team mathematically eliminated after losses to Brazil and Scotland, then scored twice in a 4-2 defeat to Morocco for their first World Cup goals in 52 years. Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to qualify, exited after a 2-0 loss to Ivory Coast.