Director of Public Prosecution, Colin Williams, says he assigned the case against Sen. Vynnette Frederick to his deputy, Colin John, to avoid accusations that he was vindictive.
Frederick is scheduled to return to court Nov. 13 to answer nine charges against her, relating to false declarations, swearing falsely, and fabricating evidence.
The nine charges against Frederick were laid on July 11 after a magistrate dismissed six charges against her.
Williams said he recused himself from the case even before the decision was initially made to bring any charges against the opposition lawmaker.
“When the matter was sent to the Office of the DPP — the file and the documentation — from the time I saw it, I wrote to the Commissioner of Police and I said in relation to this matter, this person (John) has exclusive control of it. Let them decide if there is sufficient evidence, let them evaluate it. In other words, don’t liaise with me. And I did so for a particular reason,” Williams said on a radio programme this week.
“… Why would I do such a thing? Now, you have to appreciate that there is a little history between, not necessarily between Vynnette directly — Miss Frederick directly — but her father and I,” the DPP explained.
“We are just out of a situation where he would have taken the state to court saying that I should be disbarred and so forth.
“So I said, boy, for the removal of any appearance of … any bias or anything, let me stand out, let somebody else deal with that, because I don’t want if the process turns out a certain way that it appears to be that I was in being vindictive or anything so.
“So, I took a backseat in relation to that. And there is nothing wrong with that. I don’t have to therefore vet anything in relation to the matter…” the DPP further said, noting that the Constitution allows him to vest the powers of the DPP in someone else.
The DPP, however, appeared when the charges came up for hearing at the Mesopotamia Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
I-Witness News understands that the Assistant DPP is on vacation.
All charges against Frederick stem from the contents of affidavits she filed as part of criminal complaints against Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves following the 2010 general elections.
The law is the law. There is no friendship when it comes to breaking the law. Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house. Vynette have no respect for our parliament or Speaker of the House. And as a senator she has the leagal obligation to do her job honestly and to the best of her abilities. If she has to lie and fabricate evidence these are serious charges. Any regular JOHN DOE on the street would have been thrown in jail already. As a senator it makes her charges even more serious because of her position. It compromise the trust and faith the people have invested in her. We don’t need people like her to lead us.
I guess you’d rather be led by someone accused of rape by multiple individuals. SMH.
Eric, why do you perpetually make such an *** of yourself in public like that?
Now this is a bunch od crap. He recused himself before any charges were made? He wrote to the Commissioner of Police? The DPP is who determine the faith of a case. Why is Colin Williams and company likes to look down on the rest of us mortals..dunce and stupid people we are. So what was Colin Williams doing in court on a manner he recused himself from?
Bollocks, and pigs will fly.
The first sentence was crap and I figured crap would follow and I did not need it so I moved on the responses. I was right.
The boss delegating a case to a junior in his office would really absolve the delegator from the vindictiveness associated with the case. Who, me? Not me! Is he. The buck stops yonder. Some people get stupider and stupider and stupider. And stupider.
If by delegating he can stand clear, then he would have delegated the coroner s inquest long, long ago. But he knows it does not work that way. And it is not working for him with the Vynnettes case now.
We are born free but some chose to be slaves. The DPP and the Speaker are star weapons in the arsenal.
Footnote: Study the first sentence. The DPP knows that the case is vindictive. It is just that he does not want the rap. So he ordered his deputy to stand in the line of fire. Cute.
While I read various articles and comments of person on this site, I was never incline to really post any comment of my own. I respect people’s opinion and like to hear their thoughts on these matters. While that is so I can’t help but share a thought as I read what some persons have to say. This matter and politics in SVG in general reminds me of the story of the man who along with his son took their donkey to sell it in the market. Ask “ole people” if u dont know the story. The Moral for me is: You can’t please everybody, so keep your focus on your goal.
Are these men a dancing duo, prancing around in the minds of Vincentians?
Should Ralph Gonsalves and Colin Williams, become dance instructors. I have been studying their footwork.
The soft shoe shuffle
The quick step
The military two step
Now they have accelerated into House Dance
Hustle
Jacking
Vogue
Waacking
Electro Dance
Grinding
But having more guts than anyone else, Gonsalves has had to grow an enormous belly to keep all those guts in. So may I suggest a dance called ‘Hands Knees and a Boomps a Daisy’, a very appropriate dance move for someone who has plenty of guts. Facing your partner you both slap your hands together, then slap your hands on your knees, then turn your back on your partner and bump bums.
There is a song that goes with it.
You seem to like it, when I’m down
Kinda makes you feel tall
Step right up, stand on me
I’ll learn how to crawl
You treat me so unkind
This may seem way outta line
I’ll get down on my hands and knees
If you want me to
Oh, I’m crawling on my hands and knees
Crawling back to you, oh, that’s all I want to do
Can’t understand, what keeps me hooked
It’s like I’m chained and tied
A slave to lies, he’s gotta whip across my back
I’ve had to swallow my pride
‘Cause when he turns away
I’ve got to have a lot to say every day
I’ll get down on my hands and knees
If you want me to
Yeah, I’m crawling on my hands and knees
Tryin’ to get away from you, that’s all I want to do
Yeah, you treat me so unkind
This may seem way outta line
But I’ll get down on my hands and knees
Crawling to you whilst walking backwards
Yeah, I’ll get down on my hands and knees
If you want me to
I’m crawling on my hands and knees
I’m tryin’ to get away from you