The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

ACTING Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said the investigation into allegations of judicial interference against MICAL MP V Alfred Gray is “near completion”.

Mr Ferguson told The Tribune that a team of officers was in Mayaguana over the weekend conducting “interviews”.

“We started the investigation and it is well underway. We had a team of officers that went to Mayaguana and interviewed several persons and gathered information. We are moving quite quickly and I can tell you this will not be a long process, we are near completion.”

Mr Ferguson declined to comment on whether Mr Gray or Island Administrator Zephaniah Newbold have been interviewed by police.

Meanwhile, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday criticised Prime Minister Perry Christie for not firing Mr Gray in view of the allegations, accusing Mr Christie of being “weak” and “indecisive”.

He also reiterated that his party would be unrelenting in its calls for the full resignation of Mr Gray from the Cabinet post of minister of agriculture and marine resources.

“Christie is continuously demonstrating his weak, indecisive and failed administration,” Dr Minnis said yesterday. “This falls on the head of the prime minister who is head of the Cabinet, the CEO. When the CEO cannot make a decision in moving Alfred Gray, whose (alleged) actions can potentially destroy investor confidence (in this country), when the CEO cannot make a decision, he has proven himself to be incompetent and cannot sit at the head of Cabinet. So the entire Cabinet will be held responsible.

“Christie is showing he is a relic of the past and a bygone era,” he added. “We demand that Christie as CEO show leadership and he must move Alfred Gray. And if he doesn’t he has shown himself to be an ineffective CEO and he himself should be removed.”

Mr Gray has been the subject of immense criticism since the FNM accused him nearly two weeks ago of abusing his power by contacting Mr Newbold about a man convicted in Mayaguana and sentenced to a prison term. Mr Newbold was the local magistrate who presided over the case.

Although Mr Gray has confirmed that he did contact the island administrator, he has strongly denied that he in any way attempted to sway the course of justice.

He has said he only advised the administrator that he had the option of granting bail, since an appeal had been filed.

However, according to media reports Mr Newbold has said he released the convicted youth outright “after an order came forth.” He said the young man was not on bail as Mr Gray had claimed.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is looking at the differences in the accounts.

Last week, Mr Christie said Mr Gray requested that the local government portfolio be transferred to another minister pending the outcome of the police investigation. It was transferred to Financial Services Minister Hope Strachan.

Mr Gray has said he will be vindicated by the investigation.