It’s never a dull moment where truth is concerned with former Grenada Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
Regarded as the most controversial modern day leader in the country and especially where truth is concerned, the ex-Grenadian leader has stunned many who had access to an overseas publication that conducted an interview with him.
Dr Mitchell, told Caribbean Magazine Plus (CMP) in response to reports circulating about one Kemal Osmel Nicholson, the principal of CINVEST Holdings Ltd in Antigua that he “does not know anything about Kemal Nicholson. I don’t know any Antiguan person. I’m certainly not involved in any illegal stuff or any undue things related to passports.”
Mr Nicholson is the person identified as “The Finder” of the Polish national at the centre of the scandal involving the sale of a Grenada Diplomatic Passport days before the June 23 general election in which funds from the proceeds were diverted into the defeated New National Party (NNP) South St George Constituency.
This Antiguan is not only the business partner of Dr. Mitchell’s son Olinga Mitchell but held the position of First Secretary in the Grenada Embassy in Russia.
It is unbelievable that the NNP administration will make a diplomatic appointment to Russia and Dr. Mitchell is not aware and kept in the dark about it by his Foreign Affairs Minister.
There must have been high security clearance before Nicholson got the job and the report would have been sent to the desk of Prime Minister Mitchell in his capacity as Minister of National Security.
The Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and others would have been involved in the vetting process to scrutinise this Antiguan for the job in Russia and it is not that easy to believe that Dr. Mitchell knew absolutely nothing about this matter.
Over the years, those who have been close enough to observe the modus operandi of the NNP leader knows that one thing stands out where he is concerned is that he does not take the blame for anything that goes wrong but is quick to make someone else the scapegoat or fall guy.
He is a skillful manipulator of persons and a classic example is the manner in which the former Grenada Prime Minister was able to use the likes of Michael Creft, the former CEO of the offshore banking sector to do all sorts of crazy things in those days of plenty of money flying all over the place.
The Kemal Nicholson with the Polish connection is just the tip of the iceberg in the shady dealings of Mitchell’s NNP to lay its hands on money from just about any quarter.
The mantra of the Mitchell-led NNP ever since it came into office way back in 1995 was to just bring the money regardless of the source.
THE NEW TODAY is paying close attention to the manner in which this Polish issue is played out especially if the Integrity Commission of Anande Trotman-Joseph gets involved in any investigation.
Our inclination is for this body to be kept out of any possible investigation as it is tainted as a front for the defeated NNP regime.
The Integrity Commission is packed and laced with too many persons within the organisation that is too closely aligned to the last government for comfort.
In the first case, Trotman-Joseph should not have been appointed as the head as she is considered as a person that is politically exposed given her relationship through marriage to the former Attorney-General and President of the Senate, Dr. Lawrence Joseph.
Less than seven months ago, this former government member was allegedly playing a leading role in giving advice to the NNP government and Prime Minister Mitchell on challenging the Pension decision before the Court of Appeal.
A truthful Chester Humphrey can testify on the role he played in offering views diametrically opposed to Dr. Joseph on this very sensitive issue that helped contribute to the defeat of the NNP on Election Day.
THE NEW TODAY favours the Transformational Agenda visiting the Integrity Commission and helping to clean up the body but that will be difficult as the Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade is the one who appointed the members.
The decent thing for members of the Integrity Commission and other such bodies to do is to offer their resignations and allow the new government to make a decision on whether they should be allowed to continue to perform the role.
Failing this, the only option available to Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and the Congress government is to allow the life of the members of the Integrity Commission to run its course like what is happening with the Public Service Commission (PSC) and its politically tainted head, Beryl Isaac.
The call will continue to be made to the NDC administration to invite the British government to send in a Forensic Team including accountants to help with the cleanup operation that is badly needed in the wake of NNP rule over the years.
Grenada does not have the capacity and capability to get underneath the surface of the nest of corrupt activities that took place in the name of government in recent years.
NDC will be making a huge mistake in not asking for foreign assistance to help clean the dirty pig pen in keeping with the June 23 vote for Change and the desire of the Electorate to deal with the culprits who used the machinery of government to enrich themselves, family members and associates from the resources of the people.