Grenada police will not conduct investigation into bribery allegations
by Leroy Noel
Thursday, June 17, 2004
ST GEORGE‘S, Grenada: Several lawyers in
Grenada have classified as “rubbish” statements made by legal adviser to the
police, Hugh Wildman, who says documents produced by an opposition delegation
to the Commissioner of Police Fitzroy Bedeau do not warrant an investigation
by police into allegations of bribery by Prime Minister Mitchell.
Former Attorney General Lloyd Noel said during an interview Wednesday the
principles for any police investigation are based on complaints made to them,
as was the case of former leader of the opposition Michael Baptiste where a
report was made and an investigation begun.
Hugh Wildman, who is also Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU),
says the documents produced by opposition members are hearsay and amount to
criminal libel by opposition members. But
attorney Lloyd Noel says every report is hearsay and the objective is to
investigate to determine whether any law is broken. Mr. Noel says it's a
disgrace that any lawyer would say such "rubbish".
He made reference to the investigation ordered to determine whether the CIA
report to the government of the United States was correct.
Another attorney, Anselm Clouden, former
president of the Bar Association, has spoken out against the pronouncements of
Wildman, saying during an investigation evidence can be gathered.
He says that, just as a local investigator was sent to Japan to investigate
the allegation against Michael Baptiste, so too can investigators be sent to
do the same as it relates to the allegation against the Prime Minister.
The Grenadian leader is alleged to have received US$500,000 from former
Grenadian ambassador Eric Resteiner in June 2000 in Switzerland. The
opposition members argued that the allegation is a serious one and a through
investigation is needed. Wildman does not see
the need to interview Resteiner’s former security chief Timothy Lee Bass who
has filed an affidavit in an Illinois Court alleging he was present when the
transaction took place.
Bass gives a detailed account in his
affidavit of what he claims happened in Resteiner‘s home when the Prime
Minister visited there in June 2000. In an
address to the nation the Prime Minister admitted receiving approximately
US$15,000 from Resteiner but did not say if he returned to Grenada with the
money and if so whether he made a declaration as required by law.
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