Former Senate President and Attorney-at-Law Timothy Hamel-Smith is weighing in on the detention and subsequent release on bail of Housing Minister and MP Dr. David Lee. He says while it's important for anyone accused to have their day in court and clear their name, ministers of government are held to a higher standard one that demands both integrity and accountability.
00:00The Minister and Deputy Political Leader of the United National Congress, Dr. David Lee, was detained on charges of fraud, misbehavior in public office, and a conspiracy to the fraud of the state.
00:13He has since been released on $1 million bail and maintains his innocence, saying he was vindicated once before and is confident he will again have his name cleared.
00:23However, former Senate President Timothy Hamill-Smith says, when it comes to ministers of government, the issue is not one of culpability, adding that Dr. Lee should temporarily recuse himself from ministerial duties in the interest of maintaining public trust.
00:42Not necessarily resigning, but stepping aside, pending the opportunity to clear your name, is what is the bar, the standard that you want to be held to, given the prudence that should be undertaken by a minister faced with this particular issue.
01:06The People's National Movement is calling for the housing minister to step down from cabinet while his fraud case plays out in court.
01:15PNM Chairman and Aruka Lopino MP Marvin Gonzalez says it's a matter of taking accountability.
01:22Today, Hamill-Smith tells the Morning Edition Dr. Lee's stepping aside is also about integrity.
01:28Ministers are held to a higher principle, and that principle really, you know, it requires the integrity of the system, it's public confidence in the cabinet and government.
01:45These things get impinged.
01:47And that is why, internationally, you know, when these things happen, it's not a question of culpability, it's a question of principle, it's a question of public confidence and integrity.
02:00Following the arrest, Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissasa said she has confidence in the judicial system.
02:08But Hamill-Smith tells the Morning Edition that while he too believes judges are fair in carrying out their duties, delays and backlogs remain a serious problem.
02:19He warns, for any person, minister or not, justice delayed is justice denied.
02:25I don't know if you've ever been in a magistrate's courts, but you'll find the entire morning could be taken up just in adjourning matters.
02:33That's absurd! And there are matters just clogging up the list, so we need somebody independent, because you will always say, oh, there's political interference, as it were.
02:46You need to have an independent person looking at this and taking out the dead wood that is clogging up the system.
02:53But there's much, much more that has to be done if, in fact, we have to have a criminal justice system that works.
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