Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

The Grenada Trade Union Council has called on Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell to withdraw the recommendation of Hugh Wildman to the important and critical post of Attorney General in the interest of the people of Grenada.

The Executive body of the 50-year old body held a press conference on Tuesday at its office on the Carenage, where it gave support to the Grenada Bar Association (GBA) that is leading the charge against the controversial Jamaican barrister-at-law.

The lawyers are boycotting all court matters until Mitchell's New National Party (NNP) government rescinds the application that was sent to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLCS) for ratification.

The TUC was at pains to point out that since it represents a significant section of workers of the Grenada, the organisation has a duty to protect their interest. It said that it supports the position of the Bar Association on the Wildman appointment and called for the withdrawal of the nomination because of the character and behaviour of the Jamaican prosecutor.

TUC President, Derek Allard, noted that the organisation was one of the first groups in the country to issue a letter of support to the lawyers in their struggle against the appointment of Wildman to this high judicial office. "We need people of high integrity and character to hold that high post", said Allard.

In referring to dossier put out by the bar in waging the anti-Wildman protest, Allard said he finds the information quite "mind-boggling" as it refers to the character of Wildman. He feared that if Wildman was appointed as Attorney-General then "Grenada will suffer."

"I can guarantee you, if Mr. Wildman is appointed as Attorney General we will see a level of dictatorship in this country that we have never experienced before", he remarked. "His practice will be based on a high level of bias towards the people who have recommended him for the position," he added Allard.

TUC's 2nd Vice President, Stanley Roberts quoted from a section of the dossier in which Wildman was accused of helping to block the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) from conducting a search on the controversial offshore First International Bank of Grenada (FIBG).

The bank later collapsed with the depositors mainly from the United States and Canada losing millions of their life-savings. FIBG's founder, Van Brink was arrested in Uganda last year and brought back to the U.S to face a string of criminal charges related to fraud.

Roberts charged that the TUC is totally against Wildman, not in his ability as a lawyer but his attitude and demeanor. "Wildman is not the fit and proper person to hold the position of the Attorney General........ because of his ....character...", he said.

According to Roberts the TUC will continue to call for the withdrawal of Wildman's nomination as AG, and if it takes place the trade unions will not support him.

The Attorney General is the principal legal advisor to government and is normally the second person to be appointed to the Cabinet of Ministers following general elections for a new administration.