Eustace tells Gonsalves to give more information

Leader of the Opposition Arhnim Eustace has challenged Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves to divulge more information about the controversial pardon given to a convicted drugs man.

During a 26-minute address to the nation telecast last week Thursday, January 25, Eustace confirmed that he did have a 90-minute meeting with the Prime Minister regarding the pardoning of Alex Lawrence, who was convicted on two counts of drug possession in 2005 and serving a 22-month sentence.{{more}}

Without saying what course of action he would take, Arnhim Eustace said that failure by the Prime Minister to reveal more to the nation will lead to events unlike any thing he had seen during his time in office.

“If you do not answer the public questions there will be consequences, consequences that you have not experienced since you assumed office in 2001. That, Mr. Prime Minister is not a treat, it is a solemn promise,” Eustace said in his telecast.

He said that while there were sensitive issues involved, more information could be given without breaching national security, stating that there were too many unanswered questions.

“Mr. Prime Minister it is imperative for the sake of our democracy that you provide such answers,” he said.

Eustace said that he was not convinced that the Government had the political will to deal with the issues of drugs and crime in the country.

He lamented what he believed to be a generation being lost to “the peddlers of death” and said that there were too many instances of connection between the Prime Minister and drug dealers.

He charged that drug dealers were also involved in the funding of election campaigns.

Eustace also reiterated the objections he had to Dr Gonsalves’ pursuit of the Prime Ministerial office back in 2001 because of the clients that he represented while he was a practising lawyer.

“In the 2001 election campaign I repeatedly raised the issue about the election of a leader who had a record of defending those who are in the drug trade through-out the region,” Eustace said.

He said that while he recognized every one’s right to legal representation he believes that such a lawyer can come into conflicts of interest because of information he is privy to and should never be the head of a government.