Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald discussed emails involving Save the Bays in Parliament last year.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
MARATHON MP Jerome Fitzgerald told parliamentarians yesterday that despite the Free National Movement’s continued criticism over his signing of a nolle prosequi as the acting attorney general in 2012 to drop charges against a married couple, he would do it again today “because it was the right thing to do”.
Mr Fitzgerald insisted that there was nothing to hide as he followed the instructions that were left on the case file of George and Janice Hayles.
They each faced a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition. Authorities alleged that the accused, who were represented by Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson when she was in private practice, were found with a .380 pistol and 19 live rounds of ammunition for the weapon.
Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn reignited the issue in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. He said the government had no interest in transparency as his motion for a select committee into the nolle prosequi was voted down earlier this year.
Mr Fitzgerald said yesterday: “In this case, the member for Montagu asked for a select committee. He got up. He spoke as to why he wanted the select committee and it was voted down. That was the end of it. Simple.
“Now I have said before that I have nothing to hide. The facts in that case are clear. I said that there was advice on that file which I followed and at the end of the day I would do it again today because it was the right thing to do.”
He pointed to a similar case involving John Mosko saying there was no difference in how the matter was dealt with under a former Ingraham administration and the way the nolle prosequi in 2012 was handled.
He said: “I want to deal directly with the matter of the nolle that the member for Montagu keeps raising. Obviously it’s a pet peeve of his. I don’t know why, Mr Speaker. I have dealt with that matter in this place. I made a statement on it. The way I dealt with the matter is no different than how the matter was dealt with in 1992 when the Mosko matter came to this place.”
Mrs Maynard-Gibson was out of town when Mr Fitzgerald entered the nolle prosequi.
This raises eyebrows Mr Lightbourn said on Wednesday during his contribution to the 2015/2016 budget.
“Now I did some research all over the commonwealth countries,” Mr Lightbourn said. “I think that the member for Marathon probably deserves an award for being the most efficient acting minister of any commonwealth minister. That they would be appointed to the acting attorney general and within a matter of minutes is able to go down to the Attorney General’s Office and locate one specific file out of no doubt hundreds while sitting in that office.
“He had no business there in the first place. There was no reason for him to go there. Then he is going to pull out one file and make a determination that the matter should have a nolle (no prosecution) issued. Something is wrong,” he said.
Not long after the charges were dropped against Mr and Mrs Hayles, Mr Fitzgerald issued a statement saying he was satisfied that grounds existed for his decision. He said he did so because it was a matter of national security.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 6 months ago
The height of arrogance and callousness. Sure he has no regrets, just like he has no regrets about all those individuals in his constituency who have been exposed for a prolonged period of time to the toxic cancer causing chemicals released into the soil and groundwater by Rubis. This man Fitzgerald (like Allyson Maynard-Gibson) has no conscience whatsoever; accordingly, the voters of Marathon would have to be certifiably dumb stupid brain dead masochists to re-elect him in the next general election.
TalRussell 9 years, 6 months ago
Comrades this is the case of da hidden intelligence behind how a single .380 pistol and 19 live rounds of ammunition ended up being claimed as protecting we Bahamaland's National Security.
Whatever he says, please MP Richard don't let up on Jermayne - promise always to be the MP to dig into claims nation's national security pro tection okay?
TalRussell 9 years, 6 months ago
DA BAHAMALAND NATIONAL ANTHEM Lift up your .380 pistol and 19 live rounds to da rising sun, Bahamaland, March on to glory, your pistol waving high, See how da world marks da manner of your protecting our Bahamalan all with but one tiny .380 pistol with just 19 live rounds ammunition in hand.
God bless we acting for a day attorney general, for protecting all we while asleep or awake.
birdiestrachan 9 years, 6 months ago
AT least in this case unlike John Mosko;s case no life was lost. The have said that in spite of the information not being released .Immediately, the situation was addressed.
Honestman 9 years, 6 months ago
If it was the "right thing to do" then the PLP should have no problem in sharing the file with the Official Opposition party as the "Honourable" Prime Minister promised to do! Unfortunately the words "Honourable" and PLP do not reside comfortably alongside each other.
Reality_Check 9 years, 6 months ago
Richard Lightbourn's haunting and taunting of Fitzgerald in this matter has at least revealed that Fitzgerald has a serious character flaw. By making reference to the John Mosko matter, Fitzgerald readily admits his belief in "tit for tat" even in those instances where both the "tit" and "tat" constitute clear examples of wanton misconduct tantamount to illegal acts unbecoming of the Office of the Attorney-General. Lightbourn has successfully forced Fitzgerald to reveal his true colours which are not a pretty sight. But we also know this from the role that Fitzgerald willingly played at the behest of Allyson Maynard-Gibson in another matter: The Rubis cover up! Like an unrelenting blood hound sniffing and tracking the awful scent of a wrongdoer, Lightbourn has sensed that Fitzgerald is very much prone to misconduct and wrongdoing.
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