A personal gift to Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has landed him in an uncomfortable situation with the law.
Earlier this week, High Court Judge Justice Bernie Stephenson instructed that the engines on Skerrit’s EC$194,000.00 Wrangler Jeep be turned off and its registration be suspended, at least for now.
Dominican Attorney Cara Shillingford-Marsh has challenged the Integrity Commission in Dominica, for allowing the prime minister to keep the vehicle without conducting an inquiry into the circumstances of the giving of the gift.
Skerrit claimed that the vehicle was a personal gift from UK car dealer Moosa Navsa but Shillingford-Marsh argues that the Commission acted “illegally, irrationally, and unreasonably when it allowed a person in public office, namely Prime Minister Skeritt, to keep the gift of the Jeep Wrangler without conducting an inquiry into the circumstances of the giving of the gift”
Shillingford Marsh is also a member of the Integrity Commission and she brought the claim against Chairman Thomas Holmes and the entire Integrity Commission
In her argument, Shillingford-Marsh insisted that the Commission was required to conduct an inquiry according to provisions under the Integrity in Public Life Act
She argued that the Integrity Commission was required to do so under the Integrity in Public Office Act.
Additionally, Shillingford-Marsh said the Commission breached its international obligation, failing to give effect to Article 5 of the UN Convention Against Corruption.
The decision by the Integrity Commission according to Marsh-Shillingford, flies in the face of the provisions and fact, amounting to the sanctioning of corruption
Marsh asked the court to rule that the gift be handed over to the Financial Secretary in Dominica, since according to the attorney, it is the property of the state and cannot be retained by the prime minister
In her June 12 decision, the judge granted leave to Shillingford-Marsh, to file a judicial review challenging a decision of the majority members of the Commission.
The court also granted leave to Shillingford-Marsh to proceed with judicial review against the Integrity Commission but struck out the claim against the Chairman.
Attorneys Lisa De Freitas and Senior Counsel Reginald Armour represented the Integrity Commission, while Cara Shillingford-Marsh is being represented by her husband, attorney Wayne Benjamin Marsh.
Shillingford-Marsh has fourteen days to file her claim.
KUDOS to Attorney Cara Shillingford-Marsh!!!!
This is The ONLY Way to FIGHT existing Corruption with INTEGRITY —- From WITHIN (discerning ALL the FACTS of The Case), And having the Gumption to CALL It Out!!
Thank God for THIS Member of The Dominica Integrity Commission who is BRAVE Enough to STAND Up against the CHAIRMAN and the Other Members of This August Body, so that JUSTICE May be Served in the Nation of Dominica!
We NEED Persons with This Level of Integrity here In Our Land (and other Nations of the Caribbean) so that MORE of the CORRUPTION in existence may be ROOTED OUT!! Sadly, Very Few Persons of CHARACTER can be Found To Bell The Cat!!
KUDOS Again to Attorney Cara Shillingford-Marsh of Dominica!!!
We NEED More Persons of Your Calibre to Man (Woman) Our Important Areas of JUSTICE (as Well as Work Ethic) in THESE Caribbean Nations!!! Continued BLESSINGS on You and Your Dear Family!!! Peace! 🌻😇
Say what you want, PM Skerritt will win this case. All demPeople like Cara Shillingford are satan company of the highest degree. She’s opening herself and her business into an inquiry as well. When you dogging one hole for someone, dig one for yourself to. Cara is an enemy of progress and an enemy of the state. She’s not to be trusted and must be tried for treason.
Do you any conscience of right from wrong? Your attack on Mrs Shillingford is very dishonest and smacks of epic cognitive dissonance
It sounds more like No- integrity Commission. Thank God that there is a member who has the intestinal fortitude to stand up to those jellyfish on the Commission.
The Caribbean is watching and this needs to be condemned by all civil society. Condominiums or other investments that cannot be justified by a persons salary should also become the property of state.