Almost one month after he left to become a judge in Belize, there is yet to be an announcement regarding who will replace Colin Williams as Director of Public Prosecutions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Williams took up the position as a judge two months after it was announced in the Central American CARICOM nation, even as Kingstown had remained silent about the development.
There is also no Assistant Director of Public Prosecution as none was named after Colin John left the post to act as Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Asked about who is in charge of prosecutions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister and Minister of Legal Affairs, Ralph Gonsalves said at a press conference last week:
“Well, someone is in administrative control. Sejilla McDowall, I have been advised. I was sent a document on that. By the way, it’s an independent office under the Constitution. I don’t have anything do with it, so I say I was informed,” he said of the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions.
The prime minister said he has discussed the matter with Attorney General Jaundy Martin, who has to interface with the Chief Justice on a successor to Williams.
“And I happen to know that the Honourable Attorney General has the matter in hand and is acting as expeditiously as all the circumstances have conspired for him so to do,” the prime minister said.
“And I guess in a short period of time we will know about whether there is going to be an acting appointment for the DPP or whether there is going to be another appointment straight away. But these are matters which the honourable attorney general, who is a public servant, is interfacing with persons of — whom he would have to touch bases with the chief justice about. And the chief justice, through the Judicial Services Commission, would make, as required by the Constitution, a decision and advise the Governor General accordingly. You notice, in none of that is my name.”
Gonsalves said that Williams “did a fantastic job as DPP”.
iWitness News understands that a senior magistrate is among the persons who have rejected the offer to become DPP.
Reports are that the government is offering a one-year contract, initially.