BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER weeks of remaining tight-lipped about the subject, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas made his opinion of the ongoing injunction proceedings public yesterday (July 29), calling them “a clear case of political harassment”.
The statement was made yesterday afternoon on the steps of the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial Complex in downtown Basseterre. Douglas had arrived at the High Court a few hours earlier to observe the morning’s proceedings.
“This is a political trial brought by PAM against my government and the people to delay the general elections because they are not ready, as neither Lindsay Grant nor the Honourable Shawn Richards can provide a Certificate of Renunciation of their US citizenship as required by law. They are using the court to launch a political attack,” Douglas said.
“They cannot do it themselves. It is interesting to note their attack is not led by even a single lawyer of the Federation. They hide behind others from outside. They have brought into the country, among others, two politicians to lead the attack against the government and its people: Mia Mottley, Leader of the Opposition in Barbados, and Kamala Persad-Bissessar, Deputy Political Leader of the Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The Federation’s leader had cautionary words for the aforementioned women, warning them to “not allow themselves to be unwittingly used by PAM to destabilise the country”. He pointed to recent submissions of affidavits by former PAM candidates Richard Caines and Dr. Sir Kennedy Simmonds as indicators that the case was an obvious attempt at political harassment.
Douglas said he went to court to lend support to his government colleagues and to defend himself.
“I have come to court on my own to make it absolutely clear that once my lawyers want me to be in court, I shall be here—not only to defend myself, but to ensure the people of this country understand this is nothing but a political trial.”
The Prime Minister will be in court again today (July 30), as the PAM legal team received leave by Justice Rita Joseph-Olivetti to summons him for cross-examination. The PM will be asked to clarify statements he made about Attorney-General Hon. Dr. Dennis Merchant’s role in advising him that it was not illegal to present the report of the Constituency Boundaries Commission before Parliament on July 9 while an injunction stood that seemingly prevented him from doing so.
The government won a small victory in yesterday’s Contempt of Court proceedings, as Justice Joseph-Olivetti barred evidence against Hon. Cedric Liburd from being admitted in the case.
However, the evidence against Merchant is still admissible and Contempt of Court proceedings in his case will move forward as planned.
