‘Unfortunate and regrettable’…Samuda reacts to Reid’s arrest

Nickoy Wilson, Gleaner Writer

Karl Samuda, minister without portfolio in the ministry of education, youth and information, has described as “unfortunate” this morning’s arrest of former education minister Ruel Reid.

Samuda made the remark while speaking at a post Cabinet press briefing held at Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew earlier today.

“So basically I know nothing beyond what I have been advised. I find it regrettable, I find it unfortunate because it hits at the heart of what we are all striving to achieve and that is the stable and responsible country that adheres to all tenets of good governance, which at the pinnacle is the rule of law,” said Samuda, who took over the reins at the ministry after Reid was asked to resign in March.

Reid, his wife, Sharen and their daughter, Sharelle, were arrested by members of the Major Organised Crime Agency (MOCA) this morning resulting from a corruption probe into the Education Ministry and the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).

UPDATE: Former education minister Ruel Reid, his wife Sharen and their daughter Sharelle have now been taken away from their St Andrew home for questioning before being charged in a major corruption case. They were arrested during a seven-hour operation - @rmakyn video and photos pic.twitter.com/wMhYj3uJIU

— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) October 9, 2019

CMU President Professor Fritz Pinnock and Brown’s Town Division Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence were also taken in custody.

The months-long probe involves MOCA, the Financial Investigation Division and the Constabulary Financial Unit of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Division.

Samuda reiterated the government’s commitment to allow the investigation to take its course and not to interference in the worker of the agencies.

“The investigation that has been embarked on is one that we have absolutely nothing to do with nor did we at any time as a government, me as a minister, and no other minister to my certain knowledge in any way sought to influence neither in the manner of the investigation nor the outcome of the investigation, as indeed that would be a major breach of our commitment to the upholding and maintenance of the rule of law,” he said.

 “What they have is as a consequence of what they have investigated and their findings and it is part of what makes an established and recognised country governed by the rule of law and that applies to everyone no matter what position you hold,” he added.

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