St George’s, Grenada: Prime Minister, Tillman Thomas, said he is “deeply concerned” that an unauthorised promise made by sacked Environment Minister, Joseph Gilbert, may have seriously compromised his government and could lead to “significant damaging consequences”, according to a report in the Antigua Observer.
Gilbert’s appointment was revoked Thursday by the Governor-General at the request of Thomas a day after an emergency Cabinet meeting was called to discuss an alleged deal the minister made with a foreign company for a gambling license.
The Observer said that PM Thomas disclosed that he had irrefutable documented evidence that Gilbert, while serving as Minister of Works, wrote on August 23, 2011 to the foreign company, Harbour Holdings Limited, regarding a gaming project and represented to the company that the government of Grenada proposed to amend existing legislation pertaining to gaming. He said Cabinet had taken no such decision and the ex-minister did not seek Cabinet’s approval, nor did he inform the Cabinet of what he had done in its name.
In a clear message to members of his government, the Grenadian leader said they must be clear about the importance of this standard of personal responsibility. He insisted that he has acted with fairness and even-handedness in dealing with violations of the public trust by ministers, assuring “just as I have treated with my own government colleagues, so too, I am resolved to fight wrong-doing by those in the previous administration as the evidence would justify”.
The House of Representatives this week approved a Motion putting into operation the Integrity in Public Life Legislation. The prime minister stated that parliamentarians, in particular, must set an example by living up to the provisions, the Observer article stated.
Gilbert, the Member of Parliament for St. Patrick’s West, has denied wrongdoing.
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