The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rolle@tribunemedia.net

MONTAGU MP Richard Lightbourn expressed disappointment yesterday that Prime Minister Perry Christie had failed to keep a promise to share with opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis a file relating to the granting of a nolle prosequi by Acting Attorney General Jerome Fitzgerald in 2012.

He spoke to The Tribune yesterday nearly a week after the majority of government MPs rejected his attempt to get the House of Assembly’s approval to establish a select committee to investigate the matter.

Mr Fitzgerald, in December 2012, entered a nolle prosequi (no prosection) in a case involving George and Janis Hayes. The husband and wife were previously represented by Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson, who was an opposition senator at the time, when they were charged with possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Mrs Maynard Gibson was out of town when Mr Fitzgerald, who she had appointed to act as attorney general in her absence, entered the nolle prosequi.

As the matter attracted attention and scrutiny from the opposition, Mr Christie promised to share the file on the case with Dr Minnis. However, he has not done so.

Mr Lightbourn said that he is not surprised by the government’s attempts to “sweep the matter under the rug”.

“It didn’t surprise me in the least,” he said. “I expected that they would reject my request because I’m quite sure it would be a total embarrassment to them. I would have thought they might have supported it for the reasons I mentioned in moving for the appointment, which is that I think several senior members of the government have come under major criticism in the public forum, principally the attorney general and Mr Fitzgerald and if they had nothing to hide I would think it would be in their interest to allow the matter to proceed and restore their good name.

“I personally think their names have been tarnished and not being transparent leaves it open to major suspicion that favouritism has been granted to a client of the attorney general and the whole circumstances under which the nolle was issued is really quite appalling.

“Every acting cabinet member I have spoken to said when they are acting in a position, they have very minimal functions, so for Mr Fitzgerald to have been appointed and to find reason to go to the Attorney General’s Office is surprising and to review just one file that came to his attention is beyond belief,” he added. “I think that in the public eye, people will draw their own conclusions and the majority of right-thinking people are disappointed, which is, of course, too soft a word to describe the way the government has handled this.”

Mr Lightbourn also dismissed comments made by Damian Gomez, junior minister of legal affairs, with respect to the matter. Mr Gomez had argued that it would be dangerous and improper for the House to investigate the rulings of the attorney general.

“The intervention of Mr Gomez really had nothing to do with the situation. His statements were relevant as a smokescreen.”

Mr Lightbourn added: “I’m glad to note that Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins did have the integrity to support the appointment of the committee. I feel sure that several others wanted to support it, if they were to review this upon the basis of what is right. And the thing is, we’re dealing with a serious matter here, the possession of arms.”

As for Mr Christie, Mr Lightbourn said: “I’m disappointed that the prime minister wouldn’t have allowed for the opportunity to clear his name because he offered that he would make the file available to the leader of the opposition on the basis that the matter was one involving national security and he would satisfy the leader that that was the case. Well he never made the file available.”