Annoyed Phillips engages in Small clash
Published:Tuesday | February 22, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
Former National security minister, Dr Peter Phillips, yesterday revealed that US$3.2 million used to establish a local wiretapping facility was funded by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Phillips, under cross-examination by lead attorney for the People's National Party, K.D. Knight, at yesterday's sitting of the Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry, declared that neither he nor the Ministry of National Security he headed received any of the US$3.2 million.
A great deal of the poorly guarded information from the so-called secret memoranda of understanding (MOUs) trickled to the fore during Knight's cross-examination.
However, no one objected.
On Friday, Phillips' lawyer, Patrick Atkinson, strenuously objected to attempts by Hugh Small, attorney for Prime Minister Bruce Golding, to raise the issue of the US$3.2 million.
Yesterday, Atkinson and Small continued to haggle.
Small continued where he left off last week as he grilled Phillips about the source of the approximately US$3.2 million, which was reportedly used to establish a hi-tech facility to boost existing wiretapping facilities.
Reputation under attack
Phillips declared he was prepared to answer questions on the documents to protect his reputation, which came under attack during the enquiry.
However, Atkinson and co-counsel, Debra Martin, rushed to Phillips' defence as they sought to thwart Small, who continued to make much of the source of the US$3.2 million.
"I am prepared to answer the question," a clearly angry Phillips declared. "The issue of my reputation."
Tension dripped thick between Phillips and Small - two former political allies.
As the former colleagues wrestled, Small pleaded for assistance from commission chairman Emil George as the face-off took on an antagonistic flavour.
Asked about his decision not to inform Cabinet about the MOUs, Phillips defiantly responded that he had taken nothing about operational security matters to that body.
"And I have nothing more to say on that!" he declared.
Asked by Small whether the US$3.2 million affected public expenditure, Phillips responded that he did not understand the question.
Small queried whether any of the funds had flowed into the Consolidated Fund (national Budget) or any other accounts of Government, to which Phillips responded: "Not to my understanding."
Phillips was asked whether any of the two telecom providers at the time - Cable and Wireless or Digicel - had been partners to the MOU.
Phillips answered in the negative.
However, the former minister was not allowed to answer further questions as his attorneys objected.
Atkinson contended that Small wanted Phillips to divulge who had paid and received the US$3.2 million, which is a violation of the agreement to divulge the information contained in the secret document.
But the fact that the US was the source was revealed without similar objections under Knight's cross-examination.