The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

EMBATTLED Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson is prepared to sue “people who make allegations of dishonesty” regarding her suspensions from the union as her attorneys claim there is nothing preventing her from reassuming her post.

Wayne Munroe, QC, told reporters yesterday that Mrs Wilson has instructed him to take legal action against people who spread untruths related to her controversial suspensions.

Mr Munroe also claimed that acting BUT President Zane Lightbourne and Acting Treasurer Terez Conliffe are “illegitimately” in their current posts. He said that Mrs Wilson’s suspension, as well as the suspensions of the two other BUT officers, are “spent” and that they should be back in their old positions.

Mr Munroe’s comments came after a hearing before Justice Ian Winder on the debacle surrounding the suspensions of Mrs Wilson, along with Treasurer Lorraine Knowles and union Trustee Mizpah Munroe. Justice Winder adjourned the matter until July 22.

In December 2014, Mrs Wilson and Ms Knowles were suspended for six and three months respectively due to concerns from the union’s executive committee that more than $1.1m from the union’s pension and savings account had been wrongfully spent.

In March 2015, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Knowles were again suspended for “blatant violations” of the union’s constitution. Mrs Wilson was later hit with an “indefinite” suspension pending the results of a police investigation into alleged violations of union procedures.

Yesterday, however, Mr Munroe echoed previous claims by Mrs Wilson that the Royal Bahamas Police Force has closed its investigation into the matter with “no adverse findings” against his client.

Mr Munroe also said that a forensic audit recently completed by Baker Tilly Gomez has proven that the “union’s accounts were not conditioned at all”. Mr Munroe said those claims, along with his claims that no vote was moved to suspend Mrs Wilson any further at the union’s annual general meeting (AGM) last month, shows that their suspensions are effectively at an end.

“And so the suspension in our view is spent, which means that once a suspension is spent then the persons are back where they ought to be,” Mr Munroe said.

When asked what his legal team seeks to do at next week’s hearing, Mr Munroe said: “We intend to raise the issue that these reports having been delivered, the suspensions are at an end. And that the persons who are presently acting are illegitimately so acting.”

Mr Munroe went on to say that he has been instructed to take legal action against people who spread untruths about his clients and the circumstances surrounding their suspensions. He did not indicate who those might be, however.

“Shortly we’ve been instructed to start to sue people who make allegations of dishonesty against our clients, and Bahamian people will come to learn, your mouth can get you into problems, and your mouth can affect your pocket book,” he said. “We are too lax with our tongues, and the Bible cautions you against the use of your tongue, and eventually I suspect that the court with judgments and defamation actions will show the Bahamian public why that is so, why they really need to listen to the biblical admonition.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Wilson seemed overjoyed that the matter was making headway towards a conclusion.

“It’s been a long journey but it seems as though we’re getting closer to a resolution and we’re very optimistic that the resolution will be in our favour,” she said. “So we hope that next week Friday, along with both counsels being able to communicate and consult with each other, that we will have a resolution to this matter, because we look forward to returning to our rightful positions that the members would have voted for us to occupy.”

Two weeks ago the BUT said following the conclusion of the 69th AGM, an elected officer moved to reinstate Mrs Wilson. However, the motion was ruled out of order by the chair and taken to the delegates for a vote. The delegates ruled the motion out of order and therefore she was not reinstated.

There was also a vote to expel Mrs Wilson for two years, but that motion was defeated.

Nonetheless, the statement said at the first meeting of the newly installed executive committee of the union, a vote was taken and passed for Mr Lightbourne and Ms Conliffe to continue in their positions until the results of yesterday’s hearing.