Lawyers representing Prime Minister Andrew Holness have indicated that last August when he was questioned about the Integrity Commission’s probe on illicit enrichment he was being truthful.

The statement from the law firm comes in the wake of instructions from Mr Holness to begin taking legal action against members of the People’s National Party for defamatory comments during a press conference yesterday.

In the statement, the law firm pointed out that the Integrity Commission’s report states that on August 18, 2023, a letter was dispatched to Mr Holness’ attorney conveying judge’s rule notice and issues/questions to be explored in the interview.”

The law firm said prior correspondence to Mr Holness and his attorneys had the subject – “re: statutory declaration of assets, liabilities and income.”

In some of the letters there is a minor variation to add the client’s name.

None of these communications referenced section 14(5) or the words “illicit enrichment.”

The law firm also gave a time line of events, correspondence and responses, between the commission and the prime minister, with regards to his statutory declaration.

These took place from April to July 2023.

Some of the correspondence concerned fixing a date for an interview.

On August 18, 2023 a notice pursuant to section 48 of the integrity commission act, section 14(5) was dispatched.

The law firm said based on their records, it is only on August 18, 2023 that it was communicated that the interview/investigation was being done under section 14(5) of the corruption prevention act.

The lawyers said they took and maintained, the objection stated in a previous response letter to the commission, in June 2023, outlining objections to the manner in which the matter was referred and indicating that Mr Holness was not given an opportunity to respond to the new material.

The law firm said the time-line and the documents confirm that at the time when Mr Holness addressed the matter on August 17, 2023, the Integrity Commission had not communicated to him that he was being investigated for illicit enrichment.

The law firm said statements or suggestions in the public domain that the basis of the investigation came to the attention of Mr Holness since April 2023 are not accurate.

The lawyers have been instructed to pursue legal action against persons who make statements in the public domain that are inconsistent with these facts.