"to stifle and muzzle the free press"

Outspoken attorney-at-law, Anslem Clouden believes that Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell is trying to use the local courts to frighten the local media from reporting on allegations that he accepted a substantial bribe from an international fraudster who is now locked up in a U.S jail.

 

Prime Minister Mitchell

Clouden was responding to the latest law suit that the Grenadian leader brought against a local media outfit (see page 6). Dr. Mitchell is the subject of a Commission of Inquiry into allegations that he took a bribe of US$500, 000.00 from Eric Resteiner in exchange for a diplomatic position with the ruling New National Party (NNP) administration.

The Prime Minister admitted visiting Resteiner's luxury villa at St. Moritz, Switzerland in June 2000 to accept "approximately US$15, 000.00" to help finance the cost of a trip he was undertaking to several European capitals and Kuwait on an investment promotion.
According to Clouden, the libel suit brought against those persons associated with Spice Capitol Radio is nothing but another attempt by Prime Minister Mitchell "to muzzle the free press".

He said the string of libel actions being brought by the Prime Minister against media houses in Grenada is designed "to put fear into the press so that they would be afraid to delve into the facts surrounding the bribery allegations".

This latest lawsuit, the attorney pointed out amounts to nothing another vulgar abuse of the resources of the State by Mitchell since he was not using money from his own pocket to pay for the case but was taking the action through the office of the Attorney-General.

Clouden stated that former Prime Ministers such as Tom Adams of Barbados and Basdeo Panday of Trinidad and Tobago, and President Bill Clinton of the United States used their own personal resources and did not tax the public to pursue their personal legal battles.

He charged Mitchell with trying "to stifle, muzzle the free press" on a matter of public interest and concern" but the fact of the matter is that the Briefcase Issue is a matter of fact and public interest. He added that despite claims from Mitchell and Legal Advisor to Cabinet, Jamaican Hugh Wildman that the inquiry is dead, the probe is certainly still on based on the pronouncement from Governor-General Sir Daniel Williams who set up the one-man inquiry.

Clouden called once again for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to initiate a criminal investigation into the bribery allegations against the Prime Minister. He said the current Prime Minister of England, as well as former leaders in Israel, Trinidad and Tobago and Canada had become the subject of police investigations into allegations of criminal conduct on their part.

He noted that the current Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago was charged recently for committing an alleged criminal offence and is facing the music in the twin-island republic. He questioned why the Grenada Prime Minister who is under a dark cloud cannot be subjected to such scrutiny.

Clouden also suggested that Dr. Mitchell was trying to operate in such a manner in Grenada that he can be "above the rule of law".  "No man is above the rule of law", he quipped. According to Clouden, the signs are there for all to see that the Grenada Prime Minister is trying to control the judiciary.

He pointed to Grenada's objection at the level of the Heads of Government of the sub-regional groping of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to Dominica's Brian Alleyne getting the nod as OECS Chief Justice.

Former Foreign Minister and Legal Affairs, Dr. Raphael Fletcher had stated publicly that Prime Minister Mitchell often took issue at the level of Cabinet meetings with Justice Alleyne whenever he ruled against his government in matters before the court.

Clouden said the Grenadian leader is seemingly sending out the message that "if he does not like you then he will not support you for the position of Chief Justice". "I want to say that Justice Brian Alleyne is the most suitable and qualified person to be the Chief justice of the OECS", he remarked. He chided Prime Minister Mitchell for his "unduly interference" in the process to prevent Alleyne from getting the nod for the top judicial post.

The OECS Bar Association has called for Justice Alleyne's name to be included in the list of candidates for the post. A new candidate had to be considered after Grenada objected to Alleyne, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs in Dominica.