The revelation this week that operatives of the defeated New National Party (NNP) of ex-Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell were caught in the act of “stealing” a government document is just the tip of the iceberg.
The new rulers in the Botanical Gardens cannot get clearer proof and evidence that the long tentacles of the NNP are at work and will not stop until the party gets back into government and power in Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique.
Dr. Keith Mitchell has been able to build an effective machinery over the years that is ruthless when it comes to competing for power.
Its agents continue to occupy all the key and sensitive areas within the public service, as well as in many aspects of the life of Grenada including the religious community.
Over the coming months, the status quo will remain if Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and his Congress government do not face up to the reality that fundamental changes have to be made in several critical areas in order for his party and government to remain competitive going into the next election.
Most of the key positions within the civil service are held by NNP operatives as former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell embarked upon a deliberate policy in placing trusted lieutenants “to hold the fort.”
The top brass of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) were filled with NNP disciples with some of them being bold enough to make statements to the effect since the June 23, 2022 change of government that they are not prepared to serve the NDC administration.
There are reports that a few police officers who were sent on special assignment with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) are quitting the job and taking up employment with some Credit Unions because of their hatred for the current rulers in the Botanical Gardens.
The NNP has become an institution in Grenada and many of the diehard supporters tend to operate in-keeping with the party’s theme song, “I will fight with all my might working for the NNP.”
It is very much similar to the culture that was developed within the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) of the Father of Independence, Sir Eric Matthew Gairy, as supporters will never end a meeting without singing, “We will never let our leader fall because we love him the best of all. We will fight, fight, fight with all our might.”
The NNP leadership is operating on the basis that the NDC has been in government on two occasions before and every time the next election is held the party is voted out of office.
So the theft of state documents by NNP operatives in the service is nothing new or unusual whenever the NDC is in office as the Keith Mitchell Group is biding its time in the opposition.
The only option open to the new controllers in St George is to prosecute as far as possible as the law will permit, those culprits who have been caught in the act of stealing government documents to make available to their party that is no longer in power.
The superpowers are always engaged in acts of espionage against each other and those spies who have been caught know that they are committing treason and can face the maximum sentence in prison or in some cases execution by a Firing Squad.
In the case of Grenada, the option available might only be disciplinary action before the Public Service Commission (PSC) which might include dismissal but no jail time.
It is an established rule within the civil service that permission has to be obtained from the Permanent Secretary to give out government information.
The rule also stipulates that a public officer will have to seek the consent of the PSC in order to make public utterances.
THE NEW TODAY is not aware if public officers continue to take the oath of secrecy or confidentiality as many things went wrong under the former NNP regime of defeated Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
This particular Grenadian leader was deliberate in helping to smash the institutions of the State in order to allow him to rule with an iron-fisted hand over all and sundry in the country.
These are not normal times in the public service and Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and Congress cannot afford to sleep on the wheel of the ship of State as NNP is out there lurking to make a grab for power and to be back in government in short order.
And if the current investigation into the “stolen” document is not done properly, the perpetrator of the crime might want to seek redress in court for wrongful dismissal and end up with a handsome pay cheque courtesy an error on behalf of State officials.
Congress has to take the fight against NNP if the party is hopeful of getting another 5-years in office.
The Prime Minister will have to continue the pursuit of getting the British government or Australia to send in a team of forensic auditors to look into a number of things that took place under the previous regime including the millions earmarked to the FAITH organisation that was linked to the former Education Minister Emmalin Pierre.
It is only four months away for NDC to mark its first year in office and the party appears to be far-off from bringing to justice before the court anyone who did wrong in the 2013-22 period in office of the previous government including those who signed off on the massive Billboard project in Petite Martinique in a very fraudulent manner.