Jeremie goes abroad

A release from the Office of the Attorney General yesterday sought to deny a Newsday story published yesterday, which said that Jeremie was seriously ill. Yesterday’s release from the Attorney General’s department only denied that Jeremie had a heart condition, but steered clear of an outright denial that he was ill.

The first indication of Jeremie’s illness was made on April 22, when a statement from the Ministry of Public Administration and Information indicated that Jeremie was granted "a temporary leave of absence due to illness." The release did not state how long the sick leave would last. It was the first time that Government had issued such a release, headlined "Senator John Jeremie on sick leave," even though several Government ministers have been ill, sometimes very seriously.

Jeremie did not attend last week’s sitting of the Senate, and Bonnie Lou de Silva was appointed a temporary senator.

The AG’s office yesterday said Jeremie was in fact not feeling well last Tuesday, but he has been in the office every day. The release from the Attorney General’s department yesterday did not address the peculiar circumstance of Jeremie going to his office everyday when he had been granted "leave of absence because of illness."

At yesterday’s sitting of the Senate, Jeremie’s illness was raised by Opposition Senator Wade Mark, who called on acting Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Information, Dr Lenny Saith, to make an "emphatic statement" on the health of the Attorney General.

in his response, Saith would only confirm that the AG was out of the country. He said he had spoken to Jeremie at 11 am yesterday and "he sounded in good health. Everything in that story is wrong and I don’t think I need to repeat it. He’s not at home dying, and he hasn’t had a heart attack."

The story in Newsday yesterday did not say that Jeremie was "dying" nor that he had had a heart attack, but that he was seriously ill. The fact that he is ill has not been denied either by Dr Saith, or the AG’s office.

As to who is acting for the AG, Saith said it was Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis. Her temporary appointment only took effect on Monday, but the release announcing Jeremie’s leave of absence was made on April 22.

Mark asked Saith to immediately issue a statement saying the AG, "who is supposed to be in court on Friday, is well and will be able to do so in the Chief Justice matter."

Mark said he was glad to know that the AG was not infected with the latest virus, called the Chief Justice Sharma virus, and Saith lightly assured him he was not, nor with the Gillian virus.

Rose Janniere was yesterday appointed as a temporary senator during the AG’s absence. Acting President Dr Linda Baboolal signed the order last Friday. Jeremie’s last public appearance was at the inauguration of the Caribbean Court of Justice at Queen’s Hall on April 16.

CJ Sharma’s judicial review matter against Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s decision to set up a tribunal to investigate Sharma has been fixed for hearing on Friday. Jeremie will not be in court on Friday as he is due to return home on Sunday.