The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE EXECUTIVE committee of the Bahamas Union of Teachers yesterday remained firm in rejecting the decision of a three-member appeals panel to have BUT President Belinda Wilson’s suspension overturned.

This comes a day after Mrs Wilson told reporters that when she turned up to the union’s headquarters on Tuesday, the locks were being changed and she was unable to get into her office.

Speaking with The Tribune, BUT Vice-president Zane Lightbourne said if Mrs Wilson wants to be reinstated as president she will have to appeal the decision at the annual general meeting in July.

He also confirmed that a third person is now being investigated in connection with $1.1m that was reportedly removed from the union’s pension and savings account for matters allegedly unrelated to the purposes for which they were established.

In a press release, BUT Secretary General John Musgrove said the suspensions of Mrs Wilson and treasurer Lorainne Knowles still stands for several reasons.

“The appeals committee received an official communication from the office of the secretary general stating the particulars of their duties which included a deadline for a decision. That deadline was Sunday, January 10, 2014 at 11:59pm. To date no official communication was made by the committee to request an extension date for said deadline,” the release said.

“We received communications stating that all disciplinary actions against Belinda Wilson and Lorraine Knowles be overturned. Their grounds for the assumed ruling showed little or no relations to the grounds of appeal. It is the view of the executive committee that claims made by the appeals committee about the AGM and or executive committee giving permission for all use of funds from the pension and resolution 24/42 accounts is erroneous and non-factual. “Additionally the AGM minutes were never retrieved by the appeals committee members as they refused to meet or obtain them from the said office. The minutes of the membership meeting on January 5 would reflect that one of the appeals committee members openly announced her intention to overturn the decision of the executive committee before the appeals committee was formed....this presented a clear bias on their behalf.”

The release also said the suspended officers prejudiced the process of the appeal by threatening legal action against the BUT before the appeals process was completed.

Therefore, the statement said, the executive committee rejects the decision of the appeals committee and the suspensions of Mrs Wilson and Mrs Knowles remained unchanged.

On Monday, there was a heated exchange outside the union building between Mrs Wilson and Mr Lightbourne and Mr Musgrove over her reinstatement.

This conflict came on the heels of the executive committee’s concern that more than $1.1m from the union’s pension and savings account was wrongfully spent.

Mrs Wilson has maintained that the executive council is going against the union’s constitution and claimed the appeals committee’s decision could only be overturned at the union’s annual general meeting.

Following nearly three weeks of deliberations, the appeals committee said in documents obtained by The Tribune that it did not suspect Mrs Wilson of any wrongdoing.