St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Opposition politicians here have been suggesting that two of the Team Unity’s election candidates, attorneys Lindsay Grant and Jonel Powell who are to appear before a tribunal should not be allowed to participate in the June 5 General Election.
They are basing their argument on the fact that High Court Judge Eddy Ventose earlier this year ordered Tourism Minister Grant and Ambassador Powell to appear before a disciplinary tribunal of two judges.
The judges are to determine if the two attorneys should be struck off the court’s roll of lawyers or be suspended from practice for professional misconduct.
The ruling which was posted on the website of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court pertained to the judgment of the court in respect of misappropriation, breach of trust and breach of fiduciary duty by Grant and Powell, who are partners in the law firm of Grant, Powell and Co.
Ambassador Powell was asked on WINN FM’s Voices Programme May 20 about the matter, its current status and what kind of impact it is having on their election bid as Team Unity politicians.
“Well in relation to the substantive matter, that matter is before the court of appeal right now. We have always denied any wrongdoing, the court itself has said that it was satisfied that the claimant was not entitled to any monies that he was claiming. He has received everything that he was due even before the case was instituted and so that matter is before the court of appeal in terms of other orders that have been made. In relation to that particular order, that too has been appealed and is before the court of appeal. We maintain that we’ve done nothing wrong this case has been used as a political ploy to distract people from the good work that both of us have been doing.”
The judgment in the matter concerned reads “Although receiving the sum of US$460,000 from claimant Tanzania Tobin Tanzier, their former client in May 2013, Grant and Powell without lawful excuse, despite repeated requests from the vendor, and the claimant failed to pay the balance of the purchase price of the vendor for a condominium that the claimant was purchasing on the closing date of September 28, 2015.
The defendants finally made the payment of the balance of the purchase price in July 2018, about three years later according to the judgment.
Tourism Minister Grant is the incumbent candidate for Constituency Number 4, and Ambassador Powell is running in constituency Number 2 where he is hoping to unseat the Labour Party’s Marcella Liburd.
