Barrow says Ashcroft is okay, it’s the PUP to blame
It seems that they just couldn’t resist the chance to squeeze one more measure of political mileage out of the controversy surrounding Michael Ashcroft in London. So today even as the accusations against the wealthy businessman were running out of steam in Great Britain, the United Democratic Party held a press conference to vent their anger and wring their hands. But it turns out that the object of their partisan ire was not Mr. Ashcroft; it was the party that befriended him …the PUP.
Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
“The conclusion is inescapable: the People’s United Party has been guilty of at least singularly bad judgement and at the worst a pattern of behavior that raises several questions as to its probity and good faith.”
“When I say that we are not interested in undermining Mr. Ashcroft, let me come right out and tell you this: I gather that there has been some suggestion of investigations with respect to drug trafficking. I will stand in front of all of you and say I do not believe that Mr. Ashcroft is even remotely guilty of any such activity. And that is what I mean about our determination not to undermine him. We don’t question Mr. Ashcroft in the context of any question of suggestion of criminal responsibility. We dismiss those sorts of accusations. And basically we are saying in terms of the extraordinary relationship with the Government, Mr. Ashcroft is not to blame for that, the government is to blame for that.”
Almost as an afterthought Barrow called for an official inquiry into Michael Ashcroft’s activities in Belize, perhaps in the hope that the British Reporters here would dutifully report it. Meanwhile the tide on Fleet Street may be turning in Ashcroft’s favor. The London Times, which has led the campaign against him has yet to produce anything beyond rumor and innuendo and the more responsible media is beginning to question the substance of the Times’ charges. At this morning’s press conference attorney Eamon Courtenay informed a startled press corps that his client, Michael Ashcroft, has instituted libel proceedings against the Times and would not hesitate to do the same to any media house, including those in Belize, acting in a similar way.
