Political squabble in Grenada over use of diplomatic passport by wife of former PM

The wife of former Grenadian Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell is refusing to heed a government directive to surrender the diplomatic passport issued to her when her husband was the head of government.

And reports say she has been illegally using the travel document for personal travel. The government claims that Marietha Dian Mitchell used the passport as recently as November 27.

A statement from the Grenadian national security ministry this week said the government is concerned that despite many official notices Mitchell has failed to surrender the passport.

"It is even more disturbing that Mrs Mitchell refused to surrender the document when requested to do so by the Immigration Officer at the Maurice Bishop International Airport...citing the need to use the diplomatic passport to facilitate her return to Grenada," the ministry statement said.

"It should be noted that at the time Mrs Mitchell was traveling on her United States passport," the statement added.

When the government was voted out of office in July 2008 the new administration issued official notices in the Government Gazette and in the electronic and print media, requesting all holders of official and diplomatic passports return them.

The government said there is no precedent for the spouse of the Leader of the opposition to be granted a diplomatic passport.

The administration is also concerned that the information on the diplomatic passport is misleading since it identifies Mitchell as the spouse of the prime minister.

A statement from the office of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas accused Mitchell of impersonation.

"It...must be made absolutely clear that Mrs Marietha Dian Mitchell is not the wife of Prime Minister Tillman J. Thomas, and as such the decision by Mrs Mitchell to continue to use the diplomatic passport, amounts to impersonation," the Prime Minister's Press Secretary Richard Simon said.

"It is important that Mrs Mitchell follow the legal requirement and surrender the document which, as with all diplomatic and official passports, are kept in the possession of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until it has to be used by the holder, while undertaking official duties," he added.

The opposition New National Party (NNP) issued a strongly-worded statement Wednesday accusing the state of misrepresenting the facts and stated that the travel document held by Mitchell does not state that she is the spouse of the prime minister.

The party also denied that Mitchell was asked to surrender the document, which has an expiry date of July 2015.

It said the former prime minister, who is now the leader of the opposition, currently holds a diplomatic passport and protocol dictates that his spouse should have a similar document.

It said the current administration is guilty of an attempt "to intimidate and embarrass Mrs Mitchell".