BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Hon. Dr. Denzil has shown a muted sign of support for Attorney-General (AG) Hon. Dennis Merchant, who is currently appealing a contempt of court charge brought against him in August.
Merchant was found guilty of the charge in an August ruling by Her Ladyship Justice Rita Joseph-Olivetti. An appeal by government lawyers was heard this week in the Sir Lee Llewellyn Judicial and Legal Complex.
For the most part, Merchant and his parliamentary colleagues have been tight-lipped about the proceedings. However, PM Douglas broke his silence briefly on yesterday’s (Nov. 3) edition of “Ask the PM”.
The Kittitian leader responded to a caller who insinuated that Merchant’s contempt of court charge was akin to him being a criminal.
“I do not support the caller at all that the AG, because he has been implicated in a case of contempt of court, that makes him guilty of any crime that has been committed. Maybe because the caller is not informed, that is why he has expressed it in that way.
“He was engaged in a case during the course of his duties. The specific case that identified the contempt of court action is being heard at the moment in the Court of Appeal. I do not wish to comment on it out of respect for the court,” Douglas said.
Nonetheless, the PM did have a message for others seeking to point the finger at Merchant.
“If we are going to look seriously at tackling crime, blaming other people is not going to work. The caller has been misinformed, uninformed and I hope there is no deliberate intention to slander the good name of the AG,” stressed Douglas.
Merchant’s charges stem from a July 2 injunction filed by opposition party the People’s Action Movement (PAM) that barred him from “making use” of the report of the Constituency Boundaries Commission, which outlined changes to the electoral boundaries in St. Kitts.
Less than a week after the injunction was granted, Douglas laid the report in Parliament, which triggered its passage a day later. PAM lawyers began the contempt proceedings against Merchant, arguing that he had either advised Douglas incorrectly, or failed to advise the government that the report was barred from being put before Parliament.
The appeal ruling is expected shortly.
