I will answer Eustace’s questions – PM

Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace and other Vincentians will have to wait until after the Carnival season for the response of Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves to questions asked by Eustace about allegations of official corruption.

At a press conference yesterday, Gonsalves said he would respond {{more}}in full to Eustace’s two-page letter of June 23. He, however, hinted that he would not be giving specific answers to the seven questions posed by the Opposition Leader.

Gonsalves said that he has already handwritten his reply to Eustace, but the letter will be typewritten while he is out of state.

He pointed out that giving direct responses to Eustace could be a breach of legal code of behaviour.

“Now it would be wholly improper for me, even if I have that information to speak about it.

“When I took this position from the beginning that I can’t speak about any ‘fact on this case’ or ‘alleged fact’ because it may prejudice a fair trial of the proceedings,” the Prime Minister told reporters at Cabinet Room.

Gonsalves stated that the offices of the Attorney General, the Commissioner or Police and Director of Audit were all conducting independent investigations into circumstances leading to the abrupt resignation of former High Court registrar Tamara Gibson Marks just over one month ago.

He restated that the Attorney General has filed an application to have Marks indicate why she should not be disbarred from practising law in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“I can say which I have said: that once the Attorney General became seized of information, once she was informed on the 21st of May about this matter, she summoned a meeting with the registrar, with a senior crown counsel present.

“During that meeting and as a result of what transpired at that meeting, I was advised that the Attorney General had indicated to her that her resignation may be in order, that she had agreed to resign, and did in fact with effect of that day and did in fact send the resignation letter which would have been submitted to the Chief Justice on the morning of Thursday 22nd.

“I can talk about those things; none of those things indicate where I am saying things that would prejudice any proceedings.”

According to Gonsalves, the Opposition Leader wants to try the matter in the court of public opinion, but he (Gonsalves) would not be drawn into the fray.

“If I were to say what the Leader of the Opposition wants me to say and to make pronouncements on the guilt or innocence of the former registrar, when the trial comes a few months hence, if there is a trial, and the lawyer were to make a motion in relation to the inability of a fair trial to be given… what they would then say: ‘Ralph is an experienced lawyer and he ought to have known this. He set it up so to have that particular result.’

“It is not yesterday I’m in this business and I have to be mindful of all the things. There are certain things you can say and there are certain things that you cannot say,” the Prime Minister said.(JJ)