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Prev    Next Letter: No honour among thieves Published on Friday, October 23, 2009 Email To Friend    Print Version Dear Sir: Having read an article in a local newspaper from Grenada entitled: “The government has no obligation.” I am writing in support of the contributor, attorney-at-law, Mr Anselm Clouden. I am not a legal expert or someone involved in legal matters and, though Mr Clouden's comments are based on his legal knowledge and experience, his detailed argument is pure and simple common sense expressed in the way a judge summing up would to a jury of 12. As I understand it, the case is on record as Grynberg’s RSM Production Corporation v Gregory Bowden; not the government of Grenada and it relates to marine exploration license for rights won in 1996 that the Corporation claimed it was denied by Mr Bowden (notice that Bowden has been singled out) the then Minister for Energy because according to the Corporation it refused to give in to Bowden's demand for a backhander in the form of a bribe for the said exploration rights. The Corporation is suing Gregory Bowden (not the government of Grenada) for $500 million dollars. When this first came about, Bowden should have done the right and honourable thing and leave (resign) the government to carry out his defence of the law suit (a private matter). When this did not happen, it was up to the then Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell to encourage Bowden to resign from the government and to make it absolutely clear to him, should he refuse, he (Mitchell) would be left with no alternative but to sack him but neither of this happened and Grenadians within as well as outside the country should be asking why? Why did Mitchell not remove Bowden from his government? Why was the then government prepared to fund Bowden’s defence out of the public purse? Grenada could do with a few more people like Anselm Clouden, a man of principle and integrity. A man who is prepared to stand up and be counted. Throughout the Commonwealth there is a tradition of Ministers doing the honourable thing and resigning their position when such matters arise but it would seem that the Mitchell government in Grenada was the exception to the rule and perhaps the statement of “no honour among thieves” should be taken more seriously by Grenadians. Why any right thinking person would want to associate themselves with a man carrying a reputation like Bowden is beyond me. It is also time for Grenadians to take stock and start asking themselves exactly what Dr Mitchell is up to. I understand that Dr Mitchell and other senior members of his NNP political party have been travelling up and down the country quite rightly complaining about the hardship most Grenadians are having to endure; including the rising unemployment and the virtual collapsed state of the economy; however; putting the blame for the country’s plight on the performance of the present government is totally untrue and disgraceful of those who are still enjoying a damn good lifestyle and standard of living at the expense of taxpayers. One would expect that a politician with such knowledge and experience as Dr Mitchell would act in a decent manner by helping the government. As the leader of the Opposition one expects him to take the lead and support the government when ever he can and oppose them when it becomes necessary; however; it would appear this has never been part of his plan. His record to date is to disrupt government business at best and use his position to stir up unease and political instability. One has to ask the question why is a man who has been running around the country telling us that the treasury is empty and it is all this government's fault is insisting in parliament that this same government should pay his ex-deputy and colleague's legal cost in a law suit in the order of some US$500 million in damages against the individual; something that has nothing at all to do with the government of Grenada (it is a private and personal matter). Where this money is to come from Doc.? What about the poor; the hungry and the hardship that most Grenadians are experiencing right now? What has black beard or shall I say grey beard the pirate have on you, Doc? Winston Strachan Northampton England   Reads : 684   Prev    Next

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