Allowing Corruption and Dodging Accountability

Abstract

Public investigations can be important fact-finding mechanisms empowered to scrutinize instances of government corruption. But in the small states of the Anglophone Caribbean, the opposite is true, and these institutions can become political tools used to avoid accountability. By concentrating unchecked discretion in the prime minister, the Westminster system empowers governments in small states to establish controlled investigations lacking essential investigative powers. Meanwhile, the public’s understanding of the resultant investigation can be influenced by a highly partisan media, largely controlled by the government. In such circumstances, public investigations can be used to insulate governments from accountability and allow corruption to go unpunished while giving the superficial appearance of transparency and accountability. These strategies were successfully used during the 1987 Nedd Investigation into alleged corruption surrounding the redevelopment of Antigua’s airport in 1986. Manipulation of public investigations is another damaging consequence of the Westminster system being used in small, polarized states.