The arrest and charge of the Elected Member for West End and Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Walcott Richardson, on two counts of indecent assault, continues to dominate events in Anguilla notwithstanding its occurrence several days ago.
Available information states that the Police in Anguilla, acting on a report they received on Tuesday, January 29, arrested Mr. Richardson on a warrant in the first instance on Friday, February 1.
He was taken to the Magistrate’s Court the same day on two counts of indecent assault. He was granted bail in the sum of EC$110,000, with a payment of $50,000. He is due to reappear in court on May 10. The Police said that investigations into the incident were still continuing.
Minister Richardson continues to carry out his duties as Minister of Home Affairs, while the charges against him are being discussed between Governor Alistair Harrison and Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes.
Media representatives had an opportunity to field a number of questions to both of them separately, but they only had a few guarded comments on the matter.
On Monday, February 4, following a media event in the Executive Council’s Chambers, Governor Harrison granted the reporters an opportunity to interview him on matters of their choosing. Among other things, he was questioned about Mr Richardson.
“I want to be very careful about what I say,” the Governor replied. “The matter is sub judice and it is a matter for the courts. Therefore, I really should not comment on it, beyond saying that the law will take its course – should take its course –as it would in the case of anybody who is charged with an offence before Anguilla’s courts.”
Asked whether the Minister would still be a member of the Executive Council, Governor Harrison replied:“That’s a matter for the Chief Minister to advise me on and for the Constitution. If you look at the Constitution, you will see that the question of ministerial appointments and portfolios is for the Governor to make on the advice of the Chief Minister – and thatis a constitutional matter.”
Questioned about his own concerns which he said he long had about the Minister, Mr. Harrison replied: “It is well known that I had some concerns about Mr. Richardson for some time, [but] insofar as theyrelate to the present charges that is something that is sub judice and obviously will take the right course of action.”
The Governor made it clear that his concerns and the case before the court were two separate matters. He said that his concerns were “about Mr. Richardson’s conduct over the years” and that it was a matter he would “discuss in confidence with the Chief Minister as we have been discussing for some long time.”
Referring to the occasion when he prevented Minister Richardson from issuing visa waivers, Mr. Harrison explained: “That was a separate issue on which I took action two years ago, using my reserved powers, under the Constitution, to prevent the Minister issuing visa waivers which he is not entitled to do by law. That issue is concluded as far as I am concerned, but that relates purely to the issue of visa waivers.”
Replying to critics that his concerns about the Minister were a way to dismantle the Government, Mr. Harrison replied: “Absolutely not! That is not any role of any Governor and my role, on the contrary, is to play my part in maintaining good governance, stability and the constitutional Government of Anguilla. I will play my role in doing that – no more, no less. My role is to ensure that the Constitution is stuck to and the principles of good governance are adhered to.”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hughes called a press conference on Tuesday, this week, saying he wanted to hear what questions the media had for him on any matter.
Asked whether Mr. Richardson would continue his duties as Minister of Home Affairs, pending the court case, Mr. Hughes replied: “I will not be discussing something that is sub judice. I know that once the matter is in court Government cannot discuss it. As the Senior Minister in Government, I don’t believe that I should make that error to discuss something that is sub judice.”
He was told that the case was not being discussed. It was simply a question about whether Mr. Richardson would continue to serve as a Minister in the context of the charges against him.
“That discussion is on-going with the Governor, so I don’t think that I could say any more about that,” the Chief Minister answered. “We are having correspondence on that issue – the Governor and myself. The Governor has written to me and I have appropriately responded to the Governor; and the Governor is supposed to reply to my response and he just got it today at lunchtime. He has not yet responded, and I am waiting until that response comes to me before I can discuss any aspect of that correspondence.”
Mr. Hughes was asked whether he could read portions of the Governor’s letter to him. His reply was: “For me to read something from the Governor’s letter I think would be bad protocol. I need to get permission from the Governor before I can read anything he says to me in confidence. If the Governor writes me a letter, I can’t read it to anybody until I clear it with him.”
The Chief Minister then went on to take questions on various other matters.
