Honourable, Dr. Keith Claudius Mitchell
Prime Minister of Grenada
Ministerial Complex
St. George's
Grenada
February 27, 2007
Dear Dr. Mitchell,
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| Prime Minister Mitchell |
Re: The sum of US$2.5 Million (EC$6.75 Million) paid by Lev Model to Government of Grenada, under contract made September 28, 2005 between Government of Grenada And Global Petroleum Group Limited.
Mr. Prime Minister, many Grenadians recall the period, 1990 to 1995, when you were a member of the Opposition in the Parliament of Grenada. They know that if, at that time, you were given information that the NDC government of Sir Nicholas Brathwaite had secretly signed an oil and gas agreement with a set of Russians you would have been pounding the table, in Parliament, demanding to see the contract and you would have been accusing the Brathwaite government of lack of accountability, calling them scamps and whatever names such a situation required.
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| Reynold Benjamin |
The people know that if, at that time, you were given facts, which I have presented to the people of Grenada with respect to your government, showing that Russian Lev Model had paid US$2.5 Million (EC$6.75) to the Brathwaite Government under such an agreement and that the Brathwaite Government could not account for that money you would have been jumping sky high in Parliament, bawling like a cow, screaming your lungs out, all over the country, and telling the people that the members of the NDC government were bandits and crooks and thieves who were looting the Treasury.
As a member of the Opposition in Parliament, the people would have expected you to do so.
You would have said that you were elected to protect the interest of the people of Grenada and that government is responsible to the people.
You would have explained to the nation how serious the situation becomes when there is evidence that a government is guilty of mismanagement, misappropriation and downright theft of public funds.
Honourable Prime Minister, I am sure, that you would have brought the behaviour of that government to the attention of the region and the world, and rightly, so.
You would have brought the mismanagement, misappropriation and theft of public funds to the attention of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and Donor Countries, whose taxpayer's money is sent to assist Grenadians.
Dr. Mitchell, you would have marched and conducted candle light vigils and would not have rested until the government had made full disclosure and given an account of the missing US$2.5 Million (EC$6.75 million). You were very good in opposition.
The nation will recall, also, when you became Prime Minister of Grenada, in 1995. Almost the first act of your government was the appointment of a Commission of Enquiry (The Piper Commission) to find EC$2 Million (monies from the sale of GRENLEC) which you said was missing from the Treasury.
The Commission of Enquiry cost the people of Grenada over One Hundred Thousand Dollars (EC$100,000.00).
Sir Nicholas, Ex- Prime Minister George Brizan, former Attorney General, Dr Francis Alexis, former Minister Joan Purcell and others suffered the indignity of being made to appear before the Commission.
The careers of talented public officer Richard Duncan and others were ruined. The Commission found that the EC$2 Million was never missing. Since then, and because of your folly, the people of Grenada have been paying Richard Duncan a pension of several thousand dollars monthly and he is not yet fifty years. But you felt you were right to investigate the matter.
As you are aware, Mr. Prime Minister, not only Members of Parliament are under duty to uphold the law and to protect and defend the Constitution. Every citizen of this nation is obligated, likewise.
There is no purpose to wearing the National Colours, waving the National Flag, teaching our infants to recite the National Pledge and painting our streets red, green and yellow if we are not prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, in defence of our Nation.
Like you, Prime Minister, there are very many Grenadians who are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to uphold the law and to protect and defend the constitution of this Nation.
Like you, Prime Minister, I am prepared to bring to the attention of the region and the world evidence of mismanagement, misappropriation and theft of public funds, by any government.
At the appropriate time, when the attention of the region and the world is focused on Grenada, I shall ensure that the evidence reaches every nook and cranny and every corner of the globe.
Like you, Mr. Prime Minister, I am prepared, and I am sure very many Grenadians are equally prepared, to engage in public protest, within the law, for so long as your government fails to disclose to the people the full terms of the agreement made with the Global Petroleum Group Limited and the whereabouts of the US$ 2.5 Million (EC$6.75 Million).
I have prepared a voluminous file of documents comprising the evidence, my letters to Minister Gregory Bowen, the Minister responsible for Energy, and Mr. Lennox Andrew, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, enquiring on the agreement and the US$2.5 Million (EC$6.75 Million) said to have been paid pursuant to the agreement.
Those letters were copied to you. To date, save for a verbal acknowledgement of receipt from Mr. Andrew, I have received neither acknowledgement nor response from you and Minister Bowen.
This file is ready for dispatch to regional Prime Ministers, International Lending Agencies and Donor Governments, if it becomes necessary.
Honourable Prime Minister, in any Court of Law, continued silence in the presence of such telling evidence of mismanagement, misappropriation, and possible theft of public funds will lead to a resounding inference of guilt.
As Prime Minister and head of government, the ultimate responsibility is yours, not your subordinates', to break the silence, end the secrecy and inform the nation on this oil and gas agreement made between Government of Grenada and Global Petroleum Limited and the whereabouts of the US$2.5 Million (EC$6.75 Million) said to be paid to government under the agreement and which cannot be located in our Treasury.
You, Prime Minister, Hon. Anthony Boatswain, the Minister for Finance and Mr. Lennox Andrew, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance would, surely, have looked into records of the Treasury to establish the whereabouts of these funds, since they became a matter of national concern.
You are, therefore, equipped to report to the nation, within a week, on this matter.The nation, now waiting expectantly, will be relieved and the Government will be able to resume its service.
If you should fail to do so, the nation would be free to label your government as comprising of political rogues and bandits. And I, also, shall be free to, in due course, discharge my obligations as a citizen of Grenada, as set out above and in any other legal manner that I find fitting.
Yours respectfully,
Reynold C. Benjamin
c. Sir Daniel Williams
Governor General
c. Hon. Anthony Boatswain, Minister of Finance
c. Hon. Tillman Thomas
Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition
c. His Grace, Bishop Vincent Darius
c. Chairman, Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce
c. Anglican Bishop
| OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR |
