HOME	SEPTEMBER 04th, 2004

SEPT 04

Police Commissioner Fitzroy Bedeau and Assistant Superintendent (ASP) of Police Michael Francois have been given the task to search for three persons identified as key witnesses to appear before a Commission of Inquiry investigating allegations of wrong doings against Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.

Governor General Sir. Daniel Williams announced last month that Barbadian Jurist Richard Cheltenham will head a one man commission to look into reports of wrongdoings made against the Grenadian leader in the Miami based Offshore Alert.

According to the publication Dr. Mitchell received $500.000.00 as a bribe to appoint German fraudster Eric Resteiner as Trade Counsellor for Grenada.

The Prime Minister has since denied the allegation in which he admitted receiving approximately $15.000.00 to cover expenses incurred from an overseas trip he made to Europe and the Middle East.

Commissioner Cheltenham disclosed that the Editor of Offshore Alert David Marchant, the former Trade Counsellor Resteiner and his then Chief of Security Timothy Bass are key to his investigation.

Both Resteiner and Bass are in jail in Boston, Massachusetts on charges of fraud while Marchant is reported to be residing in Miami.
Bass, in a sworn affidavit claimed that he had video taped the handing over of the funds to Dr. Mitchell by Resteiner.

The Barbadian jurist told the opening session on the proposed procedure for conducting the Commission of Inquiry that, Commissioner Bedeau and ASP Francois, who heads the investigation are hard at work trying to locate the three men.

He said that when they are found it will be necessary to determine whether they are prepared to come to Grenada at the expense of the State to testify.

"That will be the ideal arrangement. For it will allow the people of Grenada to see and hear for themselves the testimony of these witnesses, assess their demeanour and weigh their responses to the many questions that will be asked in the course of cross examinations" Dr. Cheltenham told the gathering assembled at York House in St. George's.

According to the Commissioner, since the three key players reside out of Grenada he has no authority to compel them to testify. He pointed out however that if they are unwilling or unable to come to Grenada to testify, but are prepared to testify should the Commission come to them, arrangements will have to be made to facilitate their testimonies.

"In that event, it will be necessary to do whatever is feasible and realistic to ensure that the public of Grenada hear, and if convenient, see the testimony of these witnesses" the Commissioner pointed out.

Dr. Cheltenham promised that their testimonies will be taped and transcribed and thereafter be played for the benefit of the people of Grenada and the transcripts can form an appendix to his Report.