The National Democratic Congress is not surprised, though outraged, with the final report by Commissioner Richard Cheltenham into allegations that Grenada’s Prime Minister accepted a bribe during his secret visit to Switzerland eight years ago.
We were always aware that the commission was an attempt to cover up the actions of the Prime Minister and not a serious probe to find out the truth.
All the main players at the centre of the allegations were not called, and the commissioner refused to allow lawyers to cross examine the few witnesses he called.
It is laughable that the commission could claim the Prime Minister has nothing to respond to, when the Grenadian leader himself claimed in a national address that he received “approximately 15-thousand US dollars” from the jailed Eric Resteiner. That was also followed-up by the now infamous “the damn money is mines” comment.
It is unfortunate that the government chose to spend millions of dollars on an attempt at a whitewash when we have always advocated a parliamentary investigation that would have no doubt saved the taxpayers money, and saved the country this current embarrassment of disbelief.
Once again, the NNP regime has made us the laughing-stock of the world.
The so-called release of the findings is merely an election gimmick that won’t fly with the Grenadian people who have had to live through 13 years of the most corrupt government in the island’s history.
NNP’s corruption has plunged 40 percent of the population into poverty. It has increased the cost of doing business in Grenada, the cost of which has been passed on to the ordinary people.
The “findings” have to be treated with the same contempt with which the commissioner and the Prime Minister have sought to treat the intelligence and sense of morality of the Grenadian people.
While Prime Minister Keith Mitchell has consistently sought immunity for legal proceedings in a vain attempt to cover-up his activities, the Grenadian people eagerly await their real opportunity to render their verdict in upcoming general elections.
This long dark night of corruption and shame will gladly soon be over..
