The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY Wayne Munroe told The Tribune he plans to file more legal action against Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis after a group of people were arrested yesterday for protesting against New Providence’s immediate seven-day lockdown.

He suggested Dr Minnis would be sued in his personal capacity.

“I have now determined, having looked at the law, that the next set of actions that we file that may arise out of these arrests…that will be against him (Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis) and his personal capacity,” Mr Munroe said.

“The money comes from his bank account and not the Public Treasury. If you want to walk the walk you have to be able to write the cheque.

“We continue to say there is no state of emergency and that the emergency regulations are unconstitutional.”

Regarding the new seven-day lockdown which Dr Minnis later walked back, Mr Munroe said it is an act of ruling by “dictate”.

Mr Munroe said the lockdown would adversely impact the poor, the community Dr Minnis says he understands.

Mr Munroe continued: “The prime minister. . .always has this big thing about (how) he grew up Over-the-Hill and knows the struggle of people Over-the-Hill.

“If that is so, pray tell me how can you say that you are going to lock people in their homes for seven days when they don’t have running water? That sounds like a man who either does not know or does not care.

“He talks greatly about him from being Over-the-Hill so one must know that he knows that there are people without running water. He should know because there are some people after his previous orders were arrested and fined for going to the pump outside of curfew hours.

“…And it’s not just in the inner city. There are some who live in these middle income subdivisions whose water is off and they have no running water and then he does this without notice.

“They’re the ones who tell us don’t pay attention to the rumors. They say get your information from government sources. If you didn’t pay attention to the rumours and you didn’t fill your water you have nothing.

“(He) doesn’t seem to care. It’s just amazing but that is what happens when you are privileged and you only care about privileged people because I couldn’t imagine that somebody around him couldn’t say ‘but chief how are people without running water going to make it?’”

Last week, The Tribune reported that Mr Munroe is representing 21 people who are suing Dr Minnis for matters related to the state of emergency and COVID-19 regulations.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, Mr Munroe asked the Supreme Court to make an order quashing the criminal complaints against those people who have been charged and convicted of breaching the emergency (COVID-19) orders.