PM: BRING PROOF OF CORRUPTION

IT is not correct to say that anti-corruption legislation does not exist on the statute books of Barbados.

So says Prime Minister Freundel Stuart as he responded to criticism from Opposition Leader, Mia Mottley, that even though the Prevention of Corruption Act has passed through both Houses of Parliament,
it has not yet been proclaimed and therefore cannot be enforced.

Speaking at the Democratic Labour Party’s Leading Everyone in Christ Church political meeting at the Deighton Griffith School on Sunday night, Prime Minister Stuart, while not stating when the Act will be proclaimed, reiterated that there is legislation to deal with corruption.

“When Barbados was in the hands of merchants and planters in 1929, a Bill was passed in Parliament, which is still the law in Barbados. That Act was entitled the 'Prevention of Corruption Act'. It is not true to say that there is no Prevention of Corruption Act on the statute books of Barbados. The Prevention of Corruption Act of 1929 still has the capacity – I have read it over and over again – that if there is evidence of corruption, to bring any corrupt person down to his knees, any public officer, any politician or anybody else.

“The interesting thing about that Act is that you don’t have to be black to be corrupt because we were not around at the time. Corruption knows no colour, it knows no class, it knows no gender.

“Anybody in Barbados therefore who has information that any Minister of the Crown, any public officer, or any person in the private sector is corrupt or is indulging in corrupt behaviour; All the person has to do is to go and give a sworn statement. They don’t have to go to the Prime Minister. They go straight to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).”

The Prime Minister told the party faithful in the packed school hall, that a statement is given to the DPP supported by appropriate evidence and the DPP is asked to prosecute for corruption. “Nobody in the government, Prime Minister, or AG can give the DPP any instructions. It is a frighteningly powerful office under Section 79 of the Constitution of Barbados. So powerful that a DPP can start legal proceedings against anybody in this room for any offence.”

He also revealed that the DPP can take over proceedings and also has the power to discontinue.

The Prime Minister, whose comments came against the backdrop of what he described as two words taking over the political landscape – “integrity” and “corruption”, said he has nothing to worry about and welcomes the discussion.

“I have no difficulty with nobody in Barbados at anytime discussing corruption or integrity because Freundel Stuart, so far as those two issues are concerned, sleeps very comfortably at night. I have said over and over again, there is nobody in Barbados or outside Barbados who has any secret, holding for Freundel Stuart.”

To this end he stated, “If anybody has any evidence of corruption in the government or anywhere else in Barbados – don’t just talk about it! Don’t just walk around the place dropping remarks. Put your person where your mouth is. Go and see the DPP; produce the evidence,” he said, assuring the DPP that they are willing to give evidence and be cross-examined.

“It has nothing to do with the Prime Minister. You can go straight to the DPP and set matters dealing with corruption or perverting the course of justice.”

As it relates to “integrity”, he said, “I do not know that you can legislate integrity – you either have it or you don’t have it.”

However, Stuart recalled that while he was Attorney General of Barbados, during a discussion with the late former Prime Minister David Thompson, it was acknowledged that this matter would have to be carefully dealt with, since persons seeking to go into public life may see it as an invasion of their and their family’s privacy.

“It is a real problem, in small highly-personalised societies like Barbados, you have to be very careful how you approach these things,” he said. (JH)