DR. SANDS SHAMES HIMSELF ON THE WITNESS STAND

From The Office Of The Chairman Of The Progressive Liberal Party

On The Silence Over Duane Sands Conduct As A Minister

For Immediate Release

11 September 2018

The Minister of Health Duane Sands cannot be allowed to continue in office. Last night Leader of the Opposition Philip Davis at a public meeting in Yamacraw called for his resignation or dismissal. The PLP puts its full weight behind that call.

It is clear that the matter disclosed in the Courts reveals at minimum a pattern of slackness and a willful and deliberate disregard for the rules and norms of the conduct of the public’s finances. Public funds were spent without the following the rules. The Minister admitted this on the witness stand.

The Minister admitted that he gave a 1.8 million dollar contract without Cabinet approval to a donor to his campaign who was a witness in a case against a political opponent. He admitted that this was controversial. We say it is a blatant abuse of power and a conflict of interest on the part of the Minister. He knew that he was acting outside the rules. All of this was confirmed out of his own mouth.

This conduct cannot be fixed up. He must go and he must go now.

The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance must also say how this money was disbursed without Cabinet approval.

If Dr. Sands does not go then the Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet are infected by this public malfeasance and they all MUST GO!

The media must not be silent in the face of this obvious wrongdoing and be complicit in a government cover-up of this behavior. The media cannot use technical rules to use as a shield to hide government malfeasance. They too then become complicit in a cover-up.

End