AG: PM committed to rule of law

Prime Minister Patrick Manning is committed to the rule of law, which means that no one — including the chairman of his party — is above the law. This was the response of Attorney General John Jeremie to UNC Senator Wade Mark’s threat to expose six ministers against whom there are allegations of bribery. As he wound up the debate on the Bail Bill in the Senate on Tuesday, Jeremie said Prime Minister Patrick Manning was a man of priniciple who was committed to the rule of law. “That means that no one; not Senator Mark, not the Attorney General, no one in the country, not even the chairman of his party is above the law,” he said. Jeremie added that he hoped that Mark’s source of information was better than the source which told him that the NLCB had spent US $75 million investigating its employees. This information was proven to be false.

Jeremie also stressed that the conduct of members of the Judiciary also had to be scrutinised. He said he found it very curious that Mark should  be speaking about “judicial misbehaviour” in respect of the filing of declarations with the Integrity Commission, and in the same breath complaining about “dark conspiracies” against the Chief Justice, Sat Sharma. “If judicial conduct in this country is to be scrutinised as I believe it must, it is plain fast and loose, to take two completely divergent positions on one issue of principle. But it is to be expected from Senator Mark, and in particular...when the cameras are here,” the Attorney General stated.

Responding to Mark’s request for an update on the mediation proceedings arising out of the Prime Minister’s decision to have the Chief Justice investigated, Jeremie said he (Jeremie) knew nothing about the mediation. “If I did not know him better I would think that he was trying to set me up... Mediation is an inherent part of the judicial process now, so I do not know what is going on in the mediation. “I cannot know,...and I do not know. I will be committing suicide, if I were to admit anything here this afternoon,” Jeremie said. Jeremie defended DPP Geoffrey Henderson against criticisms from Mark, noting that he (Henderson) was Mark’s “favourite bugbear.” “I do not know why he cannot leave the Director of Public Prosecutions who is a good man in a difficult position, a young man trying to do his best in a very difficult situation, a politically charged environment where there are competing interests and demands on him”, the AG stated.