Prime Minister Patrick Manning told journalists Friday Calder Hart that the former executive chairman of UDeCOTT is not guilty of anything."I would like somebody to tell me of what is Mr Hart guilty? Would somebody be kind enough to tell me? I would like to know, right now," Manning said as he addressed reporters at his office in St Clair.
Manning said it would be an error for a government to take the position that someone is guilty before anything is proven by the authorities.
"As of now, Mr Hart is guilty of nothing. He noted that there have been a lot of allegations in the public domain. However he said it would have been "absolutely wrong for the prime minister to have behaved in a manner to suggest that Mr Hart was guilty or otherwise."
Manning said, "The determination of guilt or innocence is not a matter for the prime minister. It is a matter for the established authorities."
He also refused to provide details of his conversation with Hart just before his resignation as week ago.
"The fact is that the attorney general advised the prime minister of certain things, the prime minister in that context had a discussion with Mr Hart and following that, Mr Hart felt that in all the circumstances, the best thing to do was to resign.
"What does it matter whether he did it voluntarily or whether the prime minister told him to do it?" Manning asked.
He said he would await the results of the investigations of Hart by by state agencies and pledged to "let the chips fall were they may when the criminal investigations are over."
Manning also denied that he defended Hart even though he knew that the attorney general was investigating UDeCOTT boss. He said he only pointing out Hart's contribution.
"What was my defence of Mr Hart? What I was, in fact, doing was acknowledging the contribution of Mr Hart in terms of national development...I took the opportunity, just to advise the national community of the contribution of UDeCOTT, headed by Mr Hart," he said.
Manning said he did not know Hart was leaving the country, and he urged the media and the population not to be judge and jury. And he cautioned people and the media to be careful "especially when I am sure we don’t have all sides of the story. Let the law take its course."
He refused to say if he still has faith in Hart, telling reporters that is of no relevance. And he said he would know if Hart deceived him only "after the matter is determined".
Commenting on statements made by the UDeCOTT line minister Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde that Hart was hounded out of office Manning had a question for the media:
"Suppose when he has his day in court, he clears his name. What would you say then?"’
He neither objected to nor endorsed Dick Forde's comment that the country should be ashamed.
"The Planning Minister expressed her point of view. It is her right." He closed the matter, stating that he will not comment on the statements "of an honourable minister of my Cabinet."
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