ASTAPHAN TO Lennox Linton on August 23rd, 2011:”You were caught lying about… Skerrit using his Chairmanship in 2010 to secure concessions for Blaircourt and misled the IC when you held back information that showed the PM was out of state” WHAT LENNOX LINTON said to the COMMISSION on June 16th, 2011:
“The Commission may wish to make its own inquiries into the extension of the October 2007 concessions granted to Blaircourt after the commencement of the IPO Act. In that regard, kindly be advised of the following disclosure in the Official Gazette of Thursday October 21st, 2010 at page 419:
“Cabinet advised…. that a licence granting concessions to Blaircourt Property Development Ltd under the Hotels Aid Act, Chapter 85:04 of the Laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica for the extension of concessions for a period of (6) months to complete the construction and furnishings of the villa apartments in Gillet.
Where is the lie?
Where is the misleading information?
Cabinet met on August 31st, 2010 under the chairmanship of Reginald Austrie as Acting Prime Minister and continued and concluded that meeting on Friday September 3rd, 2010 under the chairmanship of Roosevelt Skerrit. On Tuesday September 7th, 2010, Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Roosevelt Skerrit and confirmed the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held over two days in the previous week. One of the decisions confirmed under the chairmanship of Roosevelt Skerrit was the grant of concessions to Blaircourt.
About the Prime Minister being out of state for day one of the two day meeting, Astaphan may wish to recall his own opinion dated August 11th, 2000:
“The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet and is in charge of
all Ministers. He is the political Leader of the Government, and of the United
Workers Party. His influence and control over Ministers appointed by him cannot
be over emphasized. It takes a brave and principled Cabinet or Minister to deny
a Prime Minister’s request!“…The influence of a Prime Minister’s involvement in a
matter before cabinet in which he has a personal interest is self evident. It does
not evaporate simply because he excuses himself from that part of the Cabinet
meeting…”
Of course, if Skerrit has no ownership interest in the Villas, whether or not he participated in the cabinet meetings that granted the concessions is neither here nor there. So having previously claimed that Skerrit has no ownership interest and having given the public the impression that the Integrity Commission has rejected the complaint about Skerrit’s ownership interest, why is Astaphan flipping through hoops on Skerrit’s presence or absence at the Cabinet meeting in question?
And even if he was not at the Cabinet meeting, would his influence have evaporated?
Stay tuned!
