EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S NOTE: The following is a statement from the Supervisor of Elections, Leroy Benjamin, in response to a request made by this media house for his comment on the alleged orders given by Justice John Benjamin for the Registration Officer on Nevis, Bernadette Lawrence, and himself to produce decisions in objection hearings for the St. John’s area within seven days. The statement was received this morning (Aug. 4) and is published in its entirety.
"On Wednesday 1st August 2012, I received a call from SKNVibes asking me to give information as to the Court Matter held on Tuesday 31st July 2012.
Instinctively, I thought there has to be something behind this request. Let me wait and see what is going to happen. It was not indicated to me that anyone had made a statement on Wednesday 1st August 2012.
It was drawn to my attention on Thursday 2nd August that Hon. Mark Brantley had written an article on SKNVibes dated 31st July 2012 stating that I indicated to the Judge that I have no problems in producing the decisions within seven days. That statement is false, malicious and misleading. I personally made no such statement to the Judge.
The matter of the objections decisions came up for hearing and it lasted about 15 to 20 minutes before Justice John Benjamin in Chambers. Others present were Secretary to the Judge, Mrs. Daniel; Lawyer Perry Joseph representing Mr. Oscar Browne who was not in attendance; Solicitor General Mr. John Tyme and myself.
Mr. Perry Joseph presented his side of the case which lasted between 5 to 8 minutes, mainly stressing that his client has not received any decisions from the hearings which were conducted by the Registration Officer with regard to the objections coming out of the list which was published on 31st January 2012, by the Electoral Office. Mr. Perry asked that the decisions be made available within a short period of time.
Mr. Tyme in addressing the Judge, acknowledged that the decisions were outstanding and that the Registration Officer was out of the jurisdiction. Having listened to both lawyers, there was nothing said explicitly concerning the whereabouts of Ms. Lawrence, the Registration Officer. I then respectfully sought permission of the Judge to say something to him, which he most graciously granted.
This is what I said to the Judge. “Your Lordship I would like to draw your attention that the Registration Officer, Ms. Bernadette Lawrence is presently in South Korea. Counsel, meaning the Solicitor General indicated to me this morning while we were awaiting your call, that Ms. Lawrence informed him by e-mail of her return to the Federation on 2nd September 2012.” That was all I said to the Judge. I did not indicate to the Judge that I have no problem producing the decisions within seven days.
In addition, the Court Order issued on 1st August 2012 makes no mention of the Supervisor of Elections having anything to do with cases tried and/or decisions made with regards to the hearing of objections, neither was he asked to submit anything to anyone.
It seems as though Mr. Brantley pride himself in the spreading of lies; the making of mischief and propaganda related information sharing. In this Olympic year, I give him the Gold medal for been the biggest and best fabricator of untrue tales and stories. I must admit he is better than Kenneth Williams of the Observer who said sometime last year that he saw me at a combined Cabinet Meeting of the Nevis Island Administration and the Federal Government at Marriott, nothing in this world ever happened like that, but Williams said he saw me, even though everyone else at that meeting indicated no such thing happened. Instead of apologizing like a man, Williams has since laughed it off with me, and said I know you haven’t taken it on, “we still friends man.”
So I give the Silver medal to Williams. Have you noted in recent times Williams stop lying on me? Perhaps he spoke to himself and decided to leave the lying business to Brantley.
The bronze medal is up for grabs, who is willing to take it. The only credential necessary is to tell some Electoral lie on the Supervisor of Elections equal to those of Gold medalist Mark Brantley or Silver medalist Kenneth Williams."
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