The recent revelations of the Pandora Papers have exposed how global power elites have sought to hide damning evidence from their respective publics. These many revelations, resulting from investigative reporting, continues a tradition of journalism at its best — supported by the courageous vital contributions of whistleblowers.

It's a matter of integrity.

This latest exposé continues the narrative of how systems across the globe facilitate office-holders illicitly enriching themselves to the tune of million — sometimes billion. This latest list included the King of Jordan, the Blairs, religious leaders and verifiable gangsters.

I was naively disappointed that the family of the President of Kenya — Uhuru Kenyatta — were cited, as he is the son of the iconic Jomo Kenyatta; and his name means “freedom”.

That said, I am reminded of the writings of Franz Fanon and C.L.R. James who warned us to avoid identity-politics, and their sage advice has been substantiated by numerous examples over the years.

It's a matter of integrity.

It is noteworthy that while mainstream media are providing adequate coverage of this important revelation, they are providing scant reportage on the most iconic 21st-century figure in the tradition of exposés — Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

Assange, whose story is central to sustaining truth-telling, remains in London’s top security prison — at the behest of legal action initiated by the Trump Administration. While the Obama Administration had been upset that Assange’s WikiLeaks had exposed war crimes by the US military in the Middle East, it had recognised that Assange was protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

It's a matter of integrity.

Major media have been remiss in reporting that a group of 150 former world leaders and noteworthy figures, such as the iconic Daniel Ellsberg who released The Pentagon Papers in 1971, is pushing to “Free Assange”. This group has been calling on the Biden Administration to discontinue the Trump-initiated persecution of this truth-teller. This would end the unjust imprisonment of Assange in conditions that the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on torture — after an investigation — has declared constitutes torture.

Significant global watchdogs such as the Council of Europe — a group made up of 47 national representatives — Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch have called for an end of the unjust imprisonment of Assange. They do so recognising that the successful persecution of Assange would effectively end the First Amendment protection of investigative journalism.

It's a matter of integrity.

Those for whom systems and circumstances happen to leverage their hoarding of wealth and power have a justifiable fear of truth-telling. Freedom of information can lead to free and empowered people. Given the crucially pivotal period in which we live, we are faced by existential threats. They include, among others:

• High probability of further pandemics

• The climate catastrophe owing to global warming

• Social destabilisation owing to massive inequality

Maintaining the tradition of truth-telling, thus facilitating coming together for the benefit of the whole — integration — is essential for ensuring a sustainable planet.

It’s a matter of integrity.

• Glenn Fubler represents Imagine Bermuda