PM Barrow: There’s enough evidence to prosecute Musa

Aside from the budget, the PM today covered ground on a number of other issues. When pressed about the committal of his predecessor Said Musa to the Supreme Court for trial, the PM said he would have been disappointed if it had gone the other way.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“My reaction is that the justice process is in fact unfolding.”

Marion Ali
“He’s claiming that it’s political…”

Jules Vasquez, Channel Seven
“…political prosecution evinced by the fact that you are a principal statement-giver.”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Well that’s silly. I’m a principal statement-giver because he came to speak to me after this thing broke to explain his position and all I have done in my witness statement is to say what it is that he told me.”

Jules Vasquez
“He’s saying that it is that the Magistrate passed the buck because of the executive involvement in the case; the political nature of the prosecution.”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Well, I think that’s nonsense. Either there’s a case to go to the Supreme Court or there’s not. As a lawyer, it struck me from the start that there very clearly is a case to go to the Supreme Court. How the jury will decide is another matter. I would have been extremely disappointed if the Magistrate had not so found. At this stage all the prosecution needs to do is to make out a prima facie case. It has nothing to do with guilt or innocence, and surely, that particular hurdle was eminently satisfied by the facts.”