When we caught up with the Prime Minister yesterday, we also asked him about his scandalized minister of state Edmund Castro. The PUP are having a field day with the fact that he had to withdraw his libel and defamation suit against whistleblower Alverine Burgess. The opposition has called for him to be removed from the cabinet because they say that has effectively admitted to wrongdoing. Yesterday the Prime Minister laughed at that assertion:..
Jules Vasquez
"The Opposition is a release has called on you to take Minister Edmund Castro out of your cabinet as a minister of state or for him to resign immediately. They say that he has effectively admitted to corrupt acts when he withdrew his case in court."
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Well that's a hell of a stretch. I don't accept that at all. He was the one who brought the suit for defamation. He obviously withdrew on the advice of attorney and you can make what you will of it. It was not exactly covered in glory, in terms of the withdrawal, but I don't know you could get to say that is an effective admission of corruption. I reject that out of hand."
Jules Vasquez
"However, it's certainly an ignominious retreat at least and certainly it was an ill-advised tack to take in the first place, but that is another matter. The issue is that Alvarine Burgess in sworn testimony in court asserted and re-asserted that she paid him to perform services for the procurement of visas."
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"It is an allegation and ascertain that he rejects and his counsel in fact attempted to put her through the mill and maintained the position the position that that is a gross untruth. Mrs. Burgess certainly didn't prove - was unable to prove, perhaps did not need to. But the fact is there is no proof of that kind of allegation. So, Castro, the good Edmund will of course tell you that he just went through a huge UDP convention and won handsomely. So that these people certainly don't accept the testimony of Alvarine Burgess. But all that a side..."
Jules Vasquez
"But you are the boss. At some point walks like a duck, talks like a duck - it's a duck."
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"You are calling the good Edmund a duck?"
Jules Vasquez
"Not a lame duck."
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
[laughing] "Really, I expect the PUP to say what have, but there is no way that can be countenance."
Jules Vasquez
"But in the public mind, there is certainly a rather significant suspicion as there inevitably will be because this woman did not relent, did not back down and he could not get her turn. In fact the judge said be it a retreat or you will get beaten."
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I don't know that the judge said that and I don't know what is in the public mind. I don't think any of us has done any sort of a survey in this regard. There is nothing that you can point me to by way of proof. We just spoke about that, that would oblige me to have any kind of even conversation with Minister Castro."
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