Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn is calling for the attorney general to make public the police file turned in after their investigation into allegations MICAL MP V. Alfred Gray interfered in a judicial matter in his constituency on March 19.

Following the police probe at the request of the attorney general, Commission of Police Ellison Greenslade forwarded the findings to the attorney general on April 20.

"A review of the police report might enable the public to satisfy itself that allegations against Mr. Gray did, in fact, received a comprehensive full, fair and impartial investigation," Lightbourn said. "However, it is more than likely that the public would be concerned less with an assurance that the matter had received a full, fair and impartial investigation by the police than it would be concerned with ensuring that the conflicting evidence to which the report referred warranted no criminal charge be made."

Lightbourn is the shadow attorney general. He said it is "absurd and unbelievable" that Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson determined no one will face criminal charges over the allegations due to what she called the "conflicting nature of the evidence".

"Is there not conflicting evidence in virtually every criminal case?" asked Lightbourn in a statement. "That is why we have judges, juries, magistrates and administrators who are required to determine who is telling the truth and deal with the conflicting evidence."

In a statement two week ago, Maynard-Gibson said, "Upon careful and complete review of the file and after consultation with senior prosecutors and other senior legal officials within the Office of the Attorney General, it was determined that in the circumstances of the conflicting nature of the evidence, it is not desirable to institute criminal proceedings against any person before any court in respect of any offense against the law of The Bahamas."

"While it may be tempting to draw conclusions from allegations reported (second hand) in the media, it is important at all times that evidence guides the decision making process."

Lightbourn insisted that anyone who is not blinded by political bias had to have read that statement several times to ensure their eyes were not deceiving them. He said while the attorney general's decision was not surprising, her reasoning was. It was alleged that Gray interfered after Mayaguana Administrator Zephaniah Newbold, acting in his capacity as a local magistrate, convicted Jaquan Charlton, 19, on March 19 of assault and resisting arrest, and sentenced him on the spot to three months in prison. Newbold claimed in a letter to the chief magistrate that he released Charlton out of "fear and trepidation" after being threatened.

In an affidavit, Gray denied this and said he sought to "assist" in the matter "from a purely humanitarian perspective". While he said in an interview with The Nassau Guardian on March 20 - a day after the court matter - that he did not remember who initiated the call, Gray acknowledged in his affidavit that he called the administrator twice.

Lightbourn pointed to this as evidence of the minister's "conflicting" statements on the matter. He insisted that this is the nature of these sorts of investigations. Lightbourn said the public has been left with the impression that this matter has been swept under the rug.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian