PM sacks Public Works Minister

Ambrose George, former Minister of Public Utilities and Infrastructural Development

ROSEAU, Dominica- AMONG a number of Cabinet reshufflings announced by Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit on Tuesday (Nov. 18) was the jaw-dropper Ambrose George, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructural Development, will no longer be serving in a ministerial capacity.

George had come under a great deal of pressure to resign after allegedly taking part in numerous corrupt deals, including trying to skim funds from an offshore banking deal with the Private Capital Bank of Spain in November of 2007.

Skerrit did not directly address the speculations surrounding Ambrose, but did say that his government would be changing around its Cabinet members in the interest of transparency.

“The least we can do as a small developing nation is to be mindful of the signals we send in respect to fiscal prudence and adherence to acceptable standards of governance. We must remain transparent and accountable in the eyes of the world,” he said before thanking George for his years of service.

The PM then passed the responsibility of George’s ministries onto the former Minister of National Security, Immigration and Labour, Hon. Rayburn Blackmore, before taking National Security under his own portfolio.

Having demitted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Skerrit assigned that office and Blackmore’s former ministries to Hon. Vince Henderson.  

Senator Sonia Williams picked up Henderson’s former ministries, which are comprised of Education, Sports, Human Resources and Youth Affairs.