Eustace told the secret

Leader of the Opposition Arhnim Eustace was told the reason for the pardon of convicted drug dealer Alex Lawrence on Tuesday but Eustace is still dissatisfied.

The Opposition Leader told SEARCHLIGHT that he could not go into much detail but said he has launched his own investigation into the matter.{{more}}

“I will be making an announcement within the next couple of days, I am continuing my own investigation from other sources,” Arnhim Eustace said.

Yesterday (Thursday 25th) Vincentians should have heard a live television and radio broadcast by Eustace and he was expected to address the issue. Up to press time (Wednesday) nothing was revealed about the contents of his address.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has been under pressure by many segments of the Vincentian society to give reasons for the pardoning of Lawrence who was convicted on two counts of drug

possession in 2005 and was serving a 22-month sentence.

His November pardon caused uproar and when questioned, Dr Gonsalves said the reason was a matter of National Security, hence he could not give a public explanation. He had said that he would be willing to tell Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace the reason, if he was willing to swear to secrecy.

“I was willing to take the oath, because I wanted to know how this man’s pardoning has become a matter of National Security,” said Eustace.

Prime Minister Gonsalves had called on the society to trust the Government and the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, the body charged with the responsibility to make pardoning recommendations to the Governor-General.

“If anybody thinks that a group of six persons will release somebody for no good reason well then we don’t have any society worthy of any merit or trust,” Dr Gonsalves had said.

The members of the Mercy Committee are Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who is the Chairman, Attorney General, Judith Jones-Morgan, former Minister of National Security and veteran politician, Sir Vincent Beache, Minister of Education Girlyn Miguel, Pastor Steve Phillips and physician Dr. Ellsworth Charles.