The controversy over Minister Ernest Hilaire’s Discovery Land Rover Sport vehicle appears not to be going away anytime soon, as for the third straight week, it is still the biggest item discussed on talk radio and featured on news casts across the country.
The controversy took a new turn yesterday when The St. Lucia Civil Service Association (CSA) took on a statement made by the Minister in response to a question from a reporter some time ago.
The statement made by Hilaire, according to the CSA, was that the former Acting Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Peter Chiquot should be fired immediately.
“The CSA believes that such a statement is inappropriate and should not have been made by the Minister in the circumstances,” noted Cyprian Montrope, CSA President.
Chiquot was the one who wrote Hilaire on September 16, 2020 requesting documentation and Perfect Entry for importation of the Land Rover Sport imported by Hilaire. He also, in that same letter, called on Hilaire to return the vehicle to Port Castries in the care and custody of the Customs and excise Department.
Chiquot had made it clear that Hilaire had failed and refused to accede to numerous requests to submit to the Comptroller of Customs a copy of the supplier’s invoice for the vehicle.
Said Montrope, “(The) CSA acknowledges the right of the Minister to seek remedies in the appropriate quarters if he believes that he suffered personal injury, however, considers (that) this public call for the dismissal of Mr. Chiquot to be highly offensive to all public officers. Dr. Hillarie is urged to reflect upon his statement and take corrective action as deemed necessary.”
Montrope also said that the CSA had taken note of inappropriate remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition targeting the current acting Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Sherman Emmanuel in relation to the decision to withdraw charges previously laid against Dr. Hilaire.
“(The) CSA is equally concerned that those statements may have brought the Office of the Comptroller of Customs into disrepute, bearing in mind that the Acting Comptroller is empowered by the law to make decisions in matters of this nature,” Montrope said.
He added that there are well established guidelines and procedures for dealing with alleged acts of misconduct by public officers, which includes the right to due process and the CSA will not tolerate any attempt by any politician to influence or undermine the role of the Public Service Commission in carrying out its disciplinary function.
“The operations of the Public Service must be guided by the principles of neutrality and non-interference by politicians and the CSA regards the statements and inferences being made to be totally out of order,’ Montrope said.