“It is clear that I have complied with the law…The facts are clear. In the interest of transparency, I declared the asset to the Integrity in 2021, whose members in their wisdom determined that it could remain in my possession”.
The words of Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit who is at the center of a legal matter after receiving a vehicle costing EC$194, 000.00, as a personal gift from a car dealer in the United Kingdom several years ago
Skerrit’s gift is being challenged by Cara Shillingford Marsh, who claimed that the Integrity Commission acted illegally, irrationally, and unreasonably when it allowed Skeritt, to keep the gift of the Jeep Wrangler without conducting an inquiry into the circumstances of the giving of the gift.
Shillingford-Marsh who is also a member of the Integrity Commission in Dominica took the matter to court and is accusing the commission of breaking its international obligation when it failed to give effect to the UN Convention against corruption
But Skerrit said at a press conference this week that since he declared the asset, there seem to be “other machinations other than the rule of law” that have motivated Attorney Shillingford-Marsh to challenge the Integrity Commission.
Last week, the High Court in Dominica ordered that Skerrit stop the use of his Wrangler Jeep until a legal matter is settled. The registration of the vehicle was also suspended
The court also ruled that its registration number be suspended.
But Sjillingford is asking that the gift be handed over to the financial secretary since the gift is property of the state and cannot be retained by the prime minister.
In the decision which came two years after the application was filed, the court granted leave to Mrs. Shillingford-Marsh to proceed with judicial review against the Integrity Commission but struck out the claim against Stephenson Hyacinth and Thomas Holmes.
Shillingford-Marsh has fourteen days from the date of the court’s decision to file her claim.
The integrity commission was represented by Lisa De Freitas and led by Senior Counsel Reginald Armour while Cara Shillingford-Marsh is being represented by her husband, attorney Wayne Benjamin Marsh.
Thank you Cara for standing up for the rule of law in Dominica!!! How many are willing to do this??? What is see coming is a ruling that the vehicle should be handed over to the Financial Secretary in accordance with the law!! Then she will authorize the release of such ‘Government Owned’ vehicle to the Prime Minister’s Office where it will then be given back to him for his personal use! SMH Dominica