HOME	SEPTEMBER 04th, 2004

SEPT 04

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is unhappy with the manner in which the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) is vetting an address to the nation by its Political Leader Tillman Thomas.

Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that the authorities at the network have prevented the address from being aired for the second straight week.

A well-placed official said that Thomas' address was due last week Wednesday, the day before Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell actually delivered an address to the nation.

He spoke of GBN expressing reservations about some aspects of the speech and requested that the Opposition Leader exclude some contentious issues. The address of the Leader of the Opposition would focus on the party's official position on the Commission of Inquiry ordered by Governor-General, Sir Daniel Williams on the controversial June 2000 trip to Switzerland by Prime Minister Mitchell and his visit to the home of former Grenada diplomat, Eric Resteiner of Germany.

The official said that the address should have been aired on Tuesday night but a few hours before it was done the network called the congress party to raise some more concerns.

He indicated that the NDC was in executive session when the call came through that the company lawyers were not happy with some portions of the address. "It appears that the lawyers were concern with Tilly's (Tillman Thomas) references to the dealings the Prime Minister had with crooks and conmen like Van Brink and Viktor Kozeny", he said.

"They also raised objections to a few other things but as far as we are concern, what was said by our leader was political in nature and not bordering on libel", he added. The source could not say how soon the GBN might air the address of the Leader of the Opposition.

GBN has been treading with care and caution anything written about Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell given the amount of libel suits that the Grenadian leader has filed in recent weeks against persons considered to be opponents.

The network was among those who received libel suits in connection with the Switzerland US $500, 0000 briefcase scandal involving Mitchell and German trickster, Eric Resteiner.

Dr. Mitchell's government has vowed to use the "full force of the law" against anyone repeating the bribery allegation that was first reported in the Miami-based Offshore Alert publication. The Prime Minister has denied accepting $500, 000.00 U.S from Resteiner in exchange for a diplomatic passport but admitted to receiving "approximately US$15, 000.00 from him to cover the expenses of a trip to several European States and Kuwait.

The inquiry to be conducted by Barbadian jurist, Dr. Richard Cheltenham is due to start later this month.