By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
STATE Legal Affairs Minister Damian Gomez has said someone will likely be prosecuted when the Royal Bahamas Police Force completes its probe into allegations that MICAL MP V Alfred Gray used his position of power to judicially interfere in a court matter on behalf of a Mayaguana resident.
This came after Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday announced Mr Gray had asked to be relieved of the ministerial post of Local Government pending the outcome of the RBPF’s investigation.
In the aftermath of public allegations of judicial interference on the part of Mr Gray, who is a lawyer by profession, Mr Christie said the Office of the Attorney General has referred the matter to the police.
Mr Gomez said the case was turned over to the RBPF on Tuesday as he urged Bahamians not to do anything to hinder the process, which will unfold over the next few days.
Mr Gray has been under fire since the Free National Movement accused him of abusing his power after he contacted the Mayaguana island administrator last week to offer what Mr Gray has called “legal advice” regarding a young man convicted in his constituency. The administrator was also the local magistrate who presided over that 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.
However, it was reported in The Nassau Guardian yesterday that the island administrator Zephaniah Newbold said he released the convict outright. He said the man was not on bail “after an order came forth”.
Mr Christie addressed the matter in the House of Assembly yesterday.
“As a result of this development, Minister Gray has invited me to relieve him of his ministerial responsibility for local government pending the outcome of the police investigation,” the prime minister said.
“In all the circumstances, I consider that this is the correct thing to do.”
He told parliamentarians that he advised Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to transfer the local government portfolio from Mr Gray to Minister of Financial Services Hope Strachan. Mr Gray still retains his portfolio as minister of agriculture.
“This change will take place with immediate effect. The member for MICAL is to be commended Mr Speaker for his responsible approach to this matter,” Mr Christie added.
“This is to be favourably contrasted, Mr Speaker and clearly this Parliament will be plunged into this kind of debate, with cases under the former administration involving allegations of serious and major impropriety on the part of various ministers in separate and unconnected matters. In none of these cases did any of these FNM ministers stand down from all or any part of their ministerial position pending the outcome of any investigation that may have taken place.”
Mr Christie also read into the record a letter given to him yesterday by Mr Gray.
The letter said: “Dear prime minister, in view of the recent allegations made against me in the press which allegations are completely false, I hereby invite you to cause an immediate, impartial and independent investigation, to take place regarding these allegations.
“Further in order to uphold the integrity of the investigative process, I hereby invite you to kindly consider causing the portfolio of the Department of Local Government to be transferred from my ministry.
“I am absolutely confident that at the end of the expected investigation, I will be completely vindicated.”
Before Mr Christie’s communication, the House of Assembly suspended for 15 minutes after the Official Opposition repeatedly interrupted Mr Gray as he tried to table a document.
FNM MPs protested by hitting the tops of their table and shouting “resign, resign, he must resign” as Mr Gray tried to speak.
House Speaker Dr Kendal Major was forced to stand several times in an attempt to gain order in the House and called for the suspension after the FNMs defied his orders. During that time, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis was called into the Speaker’s chambers.
A House clerk was seen retrieving the House’s rulebook for the chamber.
Comments
birdiestrachan 9 years, 7 months ago
Mr: Gray was trying to be helpful, You can bet your bottom dollar this is not the first time this has happened on either side.. Mr: Newbold does seem to be in need of help, sending persons to Jail for a minor matter. Mr: Gray made a mistake , He should have allowed another Lawyer to call Mr. Newbold.
asiseeit 9 years, 7 months ago
Birdie, you see the pictures of the innocent fellow holding a machine gun and smoking weed. Also how minor do you consider attacking and fighting a police officer. Your little saint sure does not seem as innocent as you would have us believe. I know you are unable to understand or comprehend why the law MUST be upheld, so please carry on with your excuses as usual.
VDSheep 9 years, 7 months ago
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Anyone is susceptible anywhere; politicians in particular!
bismark 9 years, 7 months ago
yeah right.who will be prosecuted?definitely not MR. Gray and they IN POWER?
Tommy77 9 years, 7 months ago
Sad but true.
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CatIslandBoy 9 years, 7 months ago
To all those who are trying to denigrate Mr. Newbold in order to give Mr. Gray a pass, I say "stop talking foolishness!". Mr. Zephaniah Newbold is no novice. He is a veteran civil servant, former teacher, and pastor. He is a native of Cat Island, and was trained here before his assignment to Mayaguana. He has never forgotten from whence he came. I would like to believe that the Family Island Administrators receive sufficient legal training to fully carry out their role of local magistrate. If this is not the case, then the Department of Local Government is committing a grave injustice against the family island residents who look to these magistrates to dispense justice fairly and within the bounds of the penal code. VAG must go! Enough already. He interfered, with a direct order. No amount of tongue twisting can change that.
themessenger 9 years, 7 months ago
Exoneration of the guilty and punishment of the innocent.By not compelling Gray to resign from the Cabinet or firing him outright the Prime Minister has as good as stated that he and his colleagues are above the law.
birdie001 9 years, 7 months ago
catislandboy, Listen here Min. VAG was helping out as a MP for his constituency. Admin. Zephanian Newbold needs to be fired because “The most striking position here is he should be removed for the simple fact of speaking publicly about his judicial function” for sending a person to jail with a minor offense when the Admin could've order for him to do community service or apologies to the police officer. this didn't had to get way out of hand like this how Hubert Minnis taking this he's power hungry but just for the record the FNM still will NOT get power. Hubert Minnis “DON’T KNOW LAW” he trying to accused VAG.... inspited all of this GOD WILL intervene on Min.VAG behalf because he was NOT interfering with judicially in this matter.
asiseeit 9 years, 7 months ago
^^^PLP apologist^^^ These type only know that the PLP is always right, not right from wrong.
Publius 9 years, 7 months ago
This matter is not about whether the convicted man was a good person or not or was guilty or not. This matter is not about whether it would have been better for his case to be heard by someone else. And certainly is not about the goodwill of a caring MP. This matter is about a member of the Executive doing WHAT HE HAS ADMITTED TO DOING, which is contacting a judicial officer with respect to his judicial functions - a violation of his position as a member of the Executive (Cabinet). Gray did not need to go further to give an order, THE ACT HE HAS ADMITTED TO is the offense, an offense that is to be punishable by termination from the Cabinet in the very first and least instance in our system of government. As soon as he picked up the phone to make the call HE HAS ADMITTED TO MAKING, he violated separation of powers, and Gray - who is also a lawyer - knows this. Lack of knowledge, coupled with lack of critical thinking and a general comfort with corruption and lawlessness, is killing this country. That Gray made the call does not need to be investigated - HE HAS ALREADY ADMITTED TO DOING SO. Whether criminal charges need to be filed is a separate matter, but not one that Christie needed to have investigated by police in order for him to do what he ought to have done to Gray, which is demand his resignation and failing adherence, to terminate him from the Cabinet. Gray has not resigned and Christie has not fired him. Christie has simply rewarded him with less work for the same pay and same Seat in Cabinet. That the Prime Minister would reward and publicly commend a Minister who has set this kind of dangerous and unethical precedent is evidence of the level of stink that is smothering this country; choking the life out of, and a decent quality of life away from, right-thinking Bahamians.
People say this shows Christie's weak leadership. I do not agree. What it shows is that the Prime Minister is just as corrupt as the people he appointed to his Cabinet. He is not better than them. He is not a well-intentioned leader who simply lacks the "balls" to reign in his appointees. He is them, and they are him. That is why he will not do what is necessary in the face of incidents like this.
As for the mother of the convict, her mindset is not uncommon. She thought her comments were helping Gray but they made matters even worse. Thinking she was praising him, she proclaimed that her good MP "would have done this for anyone" - not understanding that what he did is not supposed to be done by a Cabinet Minister or MP - for anyone.
Stameko 9 years, 7 months ago
spot on....and as for the mother, it demonstrates how heavily ingrained this mentality is in The Bahamas...hence why we have a crime problem out of control
Publius 9 years, 7 months ago
Indeed. As for the convict and his family, I wonder who has suddenly arisen to secure or procure a lawyer for them - when the family should have retained counsel beforehand if the convict was truly seeking to appeal his conviction. If Gray was not the unethical, lawless person he has proven himself to be, he would have simply advised the family to retain counsel to fight against whatever injustices they believe they have suffered. THAT is how he could have helped his constituent without violating the parameters of his Office and of the Constitution of The Bahamas.
As for the supposed police investigation into Gray's actions, what is the alleged offense(s) being investigated? Who is leading the investigation? And how in the world can any right-thinking person expect justice to come about when the Attorney General (who has ordered the investigation and would decide on whether to go to trial) is Gray's Cabinet colleague and the Ministers responsible for the Police Force are Gray's Cabinet colleagues?
Stameko 9 years, 7 months ago
Here's the way I see it:
if he has done this, this is a gross abuse of his powers, its illegal and he deserves to go down for it
Irrespective of whether others might have done this (which i expect both FNM and PLP have)..it is about time that someone is prosecuted for it - alleluljah!! - we complain about crime in this country but if politicians at the top are helping out their friends relatives sons...where does it end and what example does it set? it just contributes to the culture of The Bahamas that one can get away with it if you know somebody who knows somebody
3.Gray should step down not just from Cabinet but from his post as Minister of Agriculture, and also not attend Parliament until the case is dealt with
John 9 years, 7 months ago
So what happens to the premis "innocent until proven guilty?" In the case of the young man it seems that something was unusual about his matter was handled, especially the claim that he was not allowed to speak at his trial nor was he offered medical treatment as he too suffered injuries during his "meeting" with the police. The purpose for separation of powers in the legal /justice system is to ensure that there are no kangaroo courts and the powers of the police are constrained. Even the most rogue criminal is entitled to his day in court and the evidence presented should be in relation to the charges at hand. None of us can say we have a squeaky clean and untainted police force as our own experiences or that of close friends or relatives will prove different. Just recently a motorist was "arrested" on an alleged traffic violation. When he got to the police station the officer in charge of the station instructed the arresting officers to "put some criminal charges on him and make him spend some money". This was a crown sergeant. So yes there is need for a full investigation. From the arrest straight through until Gray got involved and the family island commissioner made his public statement.
Publius 9 years, 7 months ago
That is a separate matter from what Gray did. If the convict wished to appeal his conviction, the modality in law is there for him to freely do so. Not a single fact about the details of his conviction has been confirmed; his lawyer is hired to defend him so of course he or she is going to assert that his or her client has done nothing wrong. A Cabinet Minister cannot, in our system, order a convict freed or given bail, nor is a Cabinet Minister supposed to insert himself or herself into the judicial process on any level. Even if the convict was wronged, GRAY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO GET INVOLVED ON ANY LEVEL. That is the matter here.
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