Mitchell accused of fleeing Grenada

GRENADA’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell cancelled his visit to Trinidad yesterday because there was a widespread speculation on his island that he had fled the country. “Me, Keith Mitchell, flee my country? Not me!” was his response when Newsday caught up with him in St George’s yesterday. Mitchell said this was just another of the opposition’s wild accusations levelled against him in recent times. It started with the allegation last April that he accepted a US $500,000 bribe from a German national. Since Hurricane Ivan, Mitchell said the opposition has accused him of fleeing the country, being unable to govern, and that the relief supplies were being handed out to government supporters. Mitchell, who is chairman of Caricom, was on his way to Port-of-Spain yesterday for a special Caricom Heads of Government conference when he was stopped in his track by the rumours that he had fled Grenada in its greatest time of need.

“I was already at Point Salines Airport when I stopped to speak to some Grenadians. They told me they heard that I had fled the country. The rumours on the ground, according to the people, were strong. Remember, there were rumours two days after the hurricane that I had collapsed and was being flown to Trinidad, and you (the media) came running up here to see if that was true.” Mitchell said it was unfortunate that “certain people in Grenada decided to stain the country’s name and that of the Prime Minister.” He blamed the opposition for the latest set of rumours which caused him to hurriedly cancel his trip to Trinidad. Mitchell told Newsday that from the moment the special summit was called to discuss the effects of Hurricane Ivan, he decided that he would go to Trinidad. He said he was going to be accompanied by his special advisor, Richardson Andrews. A Defence Force aircraft was sent to Grenada for Mitchell and Andrews. But Mitchell said apart from hearing the rumours from members of the public, he received a lot of telephone calls from people who wanted to know why he was leaving at this time.

“I felt uncomfortable with the rumours. You must remember the hurricane knocked out the communication system. I did not have the time to explain to the country that I was going to Trinidad, and why I was going. There was no way of informing the population why I was going. By me leaving this morning on that aircraft would have confirmed people’s worst fears that I was really fleeing the country. Leaving now was not the best thing,” Mitchell added. As soon as Mitchell decided to stay at home, he called Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning and told him what had happened. “Patrick understood what I was saying. I asked him to express regrets to my other Caricom colleagues. This special meeting was to deal with the effects of the hurricane, in particular Grenada and what we would need.” Mitchell said he decided to send Andrews because he (Andrews) was the person who was formulating Grenada’s request for assistance. The Prime Minister said he was hurt that certain people in Grenada would use the disaster to spread rumours and give the island a bad name.