Published 17 May 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
By: Times Caribbean
MP Maynard tells Wilkin his commentary is a smokecreen and a diversion to prop up Harris
Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 17, 2018 – Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 3 (West Basseterre), Hon. Konris Maynard has accused Charles Wilkin QC of giving Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris a “soft pass” in the face of an international scandal that has already forced one of two named Caribbean Ministers of Government involved to resign.
Maynard said it is a scandal that threatens to further strengthen international perceptions that Caribbean Governments have corrupt politicians.
“Charles Wilkin QC could not resist the urge to relitigate the actions of the former Prime Minister whom an electorate has already made judgement on regarding the last stewardship of a Labour Party Administration,” said Maynard on Freedom 106.5 FM “Issues” programme on Wednesday.
He accused Wilkin of giving Prime Minister Harris a soft pass by stating that he is ‘not in a position to say whether the allegations made by Virdee against our PM are true or not.’ However he spends a large part of the commentary passing judgment on the former Prime Minister with his handling of the CBI programme. Mr. Wilkin goes on to ask for full disclosure on several matters such as investments made or sought, businesses sought, Government responses, meetings with present or former government officials.
“Mr. Wilkin goes on to ask for full disclosure on several matters such as investments made or sought, businesses sought, Government responses, meetings with present or former citizenship granted, name of economic citizens with Diplomatic passports.”
MP Maynard is of the view that these disclosures cannot justify Dr. Harris’ begging for and demanding an expensive watch or a pair of shoes or a big dinner and an after party according to the UK billionaire.
“Can these disclosures wash away the internationals smear and embarrassment that our Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, was named and identified in court documents surrounding a judicial review in the Royal Court of Justice in the UK where a court says “without going into particulars, and putting the matter at its very lowest, we have no doubt that a judge considering the passages we have quoted would regard them as capable of giving rise to a reasonable inference that the claimants were willing in principle to make corrupt gifts and to pay bribes, but felt that the Caribbean politicians with whom they were dealing were asking for too much?” he asked.
“Can these disclosures somehow improve the image of our Governance practices when in nearby Antigua and Barbuda, in short the other named Minister named in the court transcripts has resigned while pleading his innocence, clearly putting Country first before personality,” asked Maynard who is of the view that in every advanced democracy, this level of implied wrongdoing certified by a court, supported by irrefutable facts, along with glaring international spotlight, almost always results in resignations and or suspensions first and then full disclosures after thorough investigations,” he pointed out.
The West Basseterre MP said a request for full disclosure is a smokecreen and a diversion to give Dr. Timothy Harris time to sort himself out.
Maynard is further of the view that the commentary by Wilkin “can amount to a serious dereliction of his civic duty where he attempts to conflate the issue of a probable criminal act under UK law with the issue of controversial local Government Policy and Procedures with regards to the CBI.”
He said although he is no Queen’s Counsel, it appears to him that the UK court has agreed that there is probable cause when in Paragraph 87 of the judgement the court says in part, after first citing the transcripts found in paragraphs 11‐13 (which talk about the bribe gifts), ‘Any judge hearing the applications would inevitably have concluded that there were reasonable grounds for believing that one or more indictable offences had been committed.’
The first-term parliamentarian noted also that the actual name of Dr. Timothy Harris is never mentioned by Charles Wilkin in the commentary, pointing out “on the contrary, Dr. Douglas is called by name three times.”
“I would not be surprised if this were strategic so that Google searches for Timothy Harris do not bring up this article. Even more glaring is that the QC said that ‘with his new mood of transparency’ Dr. Douglas should not mind if the Government releases the names of all economic citizens that Dr. Douglas gave diplomatic passports. Well sir, why not also ask for all diplomatic passports issued by this government as well? Could the QC not conceal a little better this intentional attempt to once again besmirch the former Prime Minister? He has already lost the Government for crying out loud! What on God’s green earth does this have to do with a mendicant Prime Minister Harris caught in the act?,” asked MP Maynard.
He stressed that these issues are immaterial to the bribery issue at hand and should not change the fact that the world now sees in court documents and wire tapped transcripts that “our Prime Minister, Dr. The Hon. Timothy Harris is susceptible to bribes and may have received the first tranche of bribery in the form of an overpriced expensive watch, shoes, food and after parties.”
“The only proper thing for Dr. Timothy Harris to do is resign,” said Maynard.
Photo 1 – MP Hon. Konris Maynard
Photo 2 – Mr. Charles Wilkin QC
Photo 3 – Dr. Timothy Harris
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