Eustace: Straight to court

“You are going straight to court…I don’t care who you are.”

This is the warning of Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace to anyone in the present administration suspected of embezzling state funds.{{more}}

At a large political rally at Sion Hill on Wednesday night, Eustace said if the New Democratic wins the next General Elections a thorough investigation would be carried out into the use state funds by the current Government.

The Political Leader of the NDP said he is not interested in commissions or enquiries.

“They take too long and they cost too much money,” said Eustace.

He said there are rules that have been breached that the New Democratic Party is aware of and as a result, forensic accountants would be brought in.

“We will send in the forensic accountants and any evidence there you are going straight to court. I don’t want to hear about commissions of enquiry of matters of this kind.

“You are going straight to face to court. I don’t care who you are. You have no right to interfere with taxpayers’ money. And, whatever charge you face then you face charges,” said Eustace.

He said the Ottley Hall Enquiry had cost the state more than EC$4.9 million and this has been going on for years.

Eustace also had a word for his opponent in the upcoming General Elections. He noted that he would tell his opponent: “Welcome to East Kingstown and get ready to leave East Kingstown.”

It is an open secret that Hans King, Press Secretary to Prime Minister Dr.Ralph Gonsalves, will contest the East Kingstown seat held by Eustace on a ULP ticket.

Eustace used the opportunity to reiterate his call for Parnell Campbell to resign as the chairman of the Constitution Reform Steering Committee.

“He is collecting money under false pretences,” said Eustace.

When former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell took microphone, he thanked Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves for welcoming him back to active politics, then promised to send him back to his legal practice. This idea was supported by a round of applause from the crowd.

Sir James, a veteran politician who holds the record as the region’s longest serving prime minister, said several persons have questioned whether he is ready for the rigors of politics. He stressed that he has survived opponents slashing his car tires, as well as calling him names and is prepared for anything.

“Nobody throws a stone at a dead dog,” said Sir James, assuring that he is ready to continue his political career.

Campbell also came in for some hammering from Sir James. “I want to warn Ralph about PR. PR is a man that has his life raft. When the ULP ship sinks, Parnell ain’t going down. And, I want to warn PR about Ralph. Ralph will use you like a shoe. He will wear you out, until, like an old shoe, you have a hole in the sole.

“I know in the passage of time when he and Ralph finish everything, he going come back to me and say ‘Bless me father for I have sinned’,” said Sir James.

The former prime minister also touched on the constitution debate. He said some held the notion that constitutional and political systems ought to strive for national sustainable economic development based on a combination of privately owned and publicly owned economic enterprises.

However: “If you wanted any proof of a return to socialism and communism it is that sentence right there. You are talking about the importance of publicly owned economic enterprises. That is a principle that they are going at — of government ownership and control of the resources; of government taking your taxes and spending it on things that don’t work [and which] put you out of business.”

He said the biggest public owned enterprise by the government of his day was the sugar industry. He pointed out after five years of operation the government was left with $45 million in debt. He said the Diamond Diary was also a burden to the government.

“All these kinds of things about publicly owned enterprises are what ruined Guyana. It is what ruined Jamaica and force them to devalue their currency. All those big countries, big places like Jamaica and the Guyanese have to run to a little place like St.Vincent and Barbados,” said Sir James.

He credited the party he founded for liberalising the airwaves, and for exposing Vincentians to opportunities in the British Army.

Sir James ended his presentation by challenging the crowd to say: “No to Ralph, No to PR, No to the ULP.”

There were also addresses by Chairman of the NDP Linton Lewis, Vice President Dr. Godwyn Friday, and PRO Vynette Frederick.