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Immunity for MPs

No arrests until December 17, 2018

 

THERE will be no arrests of politicians until after 17th December next year with sources citing political instability as the reason for delaying police action.

Sources spoken to yesterday say the government fears that mass arrests of politicians including some senior Cabinet Ministers would result in political instability, which the government is trying to avoid at all costs.

“The confirmed line-up for immediate arrest is 11, but it could be more,” one source told Island Sun.

“The fear is that such a large number would result in the immediate collapse of the DCC Government. That would throw the country into chaos, creating political instability,” the source said.

Faced with that prospect, police have reportedly been advised to put on hold any plans for the arrest of individual politicians until the 17th December 2018, the day the current House is due to be dissolved.

“As soon as the House is dissolved, police would move in to carry out their work,” the source said.

The current House is due to be dissolved on 17th December 2018 – four years to the day the Speaker of the National Parliament was elected. By law, the next general election must be held within 90 days or three months after the dissolution of Parliament.

Meanwhile police investigation is said to have shifted to the National Shipping Grants as evidence is fresh and a lot easier to collect unlike the controversial Rural Constituency Development Fund, which goes back many years.

Unconfirmed reports say moves are also afoot to change the name from National Shipping Grants to Mobility Fund. Proponents of the move say such a change increases the scope of items to be funded by the fund.

Some critics say a change in name does not and will not do anything to the material fact of the matter.

“Police are only interested in proving that a crime has been committed. A change of name will not change anything in a court of law,” one said yesterday.



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