Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts claims that Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis is ignoring due process and acting as a “Jumping Jack” following his repeated calls for the resignation of the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray.
In a statement released yesterday, Roberts noted that during the five years Dr. Minnis served in the FNM Cabinet, at least five FNM ministers found themselves in acts of impropriety and malfeasance and during that time Dr. Minnis said nothing.
“He condoned all of their malfeasant ways through his deafening silence and now he is all over the place like a Jumping Jack with this fake self-righteous indignation and pretend-outrage,” Roberts said.
Yesterday, Dr. Minnis held another press conference calling for Gray’s resignation.
According to Roberts, Dr. Minnis has failed to acknowledge due process concerning the matter involving Gray that is currently under police investigation.
Roberts said Dr. Minnis’ failure to respect due process is disgraceful because he has ignored calls by the attorney general to refrain from commentary on Gray’s matter while it’s under investigation.
“Dr. Hubert Minnis and his parliamentary colleagues continue to show contempt for the principle of due process as they seek to willfully contaminate the investigative process and pervert the course of justice for purely political means,” Roberts said. “Dr. Minnis knows better and stands condemned.”
He explained that when Brent Symonette was accused of being in violation of the constitution, “cat cut Minnis’ tongue because he had no voice then.”
“There was no outrage, no indignation and most disgracefully there was no investigation called by the then prime minister, any member of the Cabinet or the FNM party because they all lacked the personal conviction and integrity to act,” Roberts said.
The PLP chairman added that at that time the entire FNM Cabinet remained “eerily silent” in the face of charges that a minister had broken the law regarding provisions of the Local Government Act.
“It took a Supreme Court ruling to force Sidney Collie to resign from the Cabinet,” Roberts said. “Dr. Minnis was there big and bold, but had no voice and condoned this unlawful act by his silence.”
Therefore, Roberts expressed that Dr. Minnis could cease with his “duplicitous political posturing and bluster” because the record of FNM government ministers concerning their attitude toward the rule of law is a matter of public record.
He said as it relates to Gray’s matter, the prime minister has acted and the attorney general has acted which is more than the FNM did as the government.
Gray is being investigated following allegations that he abused his ministerial power and intervened in a judicial matter.
“I urge all right thinking people to ignore Minnis and the FNM, not to rush to judgment and to allow justice to take its natural course as this is the right thing to do in a democratic country,” Roberts said.
