By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

IT may be too soon to expect a decision on a report filed by police into the probe of MICAL MP V Alfred Gray’s alleged judicial interference in a criminal matter, his lawyer said yesterday.

Wayne Munroe, QC, did not express concern by the increasing time lapse between Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade’s confirmation of the report being passed on to the Office of the Attorney General two weeks ago and the fact that a decision had yet to be made on the report by the country’s head prosecutor.

“I know the report was issued to the Attorney General’s Office two weeks ago from the investigation that the police did,” he told The Tribune.

“I don’t know what the report contains or what all will be considered,” he added, further disclosing that he had “provided the police with phone records from my client.”

“I don’t know if that will be compared with other phone records they might have obtained but I can say that this isn’t a he say, she say case.”

Mr Munroe said it may be too soon to expect a decision on report, and while he would not speculate on the outcome, he added: “It could be very well that nothing is done.”

In March, the opposition Free National Movement alleged that Mr Gray used his position to have a man in his constituency freed, following conviction and sentencing. It is claimed that Mr Gray contacted Mayaguana island Administrator Zephaniah Newbold, the sentencing magistrate, to offer “legal advice” in a case involving a teen convicted on that island.

Although Mr Gray has confirmed that he did contact the island administrator, he has strongly denied that he in any way attempted to sway the course of justice.

The teen was released shortly after their conversation.

Mr Gray has said he only advised the administrator that he had the option of granting bail, since an appeal had been filed. However, according to media reports Mr Newbold has said he released the convicted youth, 19-year-old Jaquan Charlton, outright “after an order came forth”.

According to a letter Mr Newbold sent to Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt, he alleged that after sentencing Jaquan Charlton to three months imprisonment for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest, he received a call from an “angry” Mr Gray, ordering him to immediately release the 19-year-old.

Mr Newbold also wrote that after this, he asked for Mr Charlton to be brought back into his court and he ordered his release, “while acting through fear and trepidation.”

According to phone records seen by The Tribune, calls from Mr Gray to Mr Newbold took place for about three minutes with a one-minute gap between the first and second call. The first call was one minute long and the second call was two minutes.

In his affidavit on the matter, Mr Gray alleges that given this chronology of events, it would not have been possible for the administrator to speak to a prosecutor who then spoke to both a superior and the chief magistrate before speaking again to the administrator.

“I totally deny the administrator’s report wherein he indicated that I ordered the man to be released,” Mr Gray’s affidavit said.

Police interviewed Mr Gray on the matter on April 10, according to his lawyer Mr Munroe.

Mr Gray, who has been relieved of his local government portfolio pending the outcome of the investigation, has said he will be vindicated at the end of the day.

He is still the minister of agriculture and marine resources.