ST GEORGE’S – For almost a year, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas kept the suspension of his junior Minister of Culture and Information Arley Gill a secret.
There had been much speculation that Gill had been suspended from the cabinet for six weeks because of an agreement he signed with regional cable entertainment company, TEMPO, without government approval.
Thomas had refused to confirm or deny the suspension and would, as he did during a national budget debate, tell Grenadians that the matter was confidential and not for public consumption.
“In the Arley Gill issue . . . he signed an agreement which involved the government and the government was not aware of it. I felt that was not appropriate,” the prime minister said in a radio interview.
“If Cabinet had to take a decision to get involved with a company I can’t see how a minister can single-handedly go and do it,” he added.
The prime minister’s radio disclosure came as he defended his decision to demote his former trade and environment minister Michael Church to a junior minister for “facilitating” trade advisor Dr Patrick Antoine without cabinet’s approval.
Church has since resigned from the cabinet and the prime minister has apparently quelled an internal revolt over his decision to reshuffle the Cabinet last week.
With regards to Gill, the prime minister told listeners that he took a stand against his minister.
“So there was no cover up there. I just did not say to the public that I suspended him for whatever period. But I took the action because the public knew what was wrong . . . and I suspended him for a period from the Cabinet.”(CMC)
