By Leroy Noel
12 May St. George's Grenada: The credibility of former Governor
General of Grenada Sir Paul Scoon has been placed under serious scrutiny by British based lawyer and former Attorney General
of Grenada Richart Hart.
Sir paul who recently published his book "Service for survival" based mainly
on the 1979-83 period of the Grenada revolution is described By Mr. Hart in is own book "Seeting the record straight" as one
with so many accuracies.
Mr Hart said, "Sir Paul's book has so many inaccuracies that it is hard
to tell which are due to ignorance of the facts and which are inventions designed to show the then People's Revolutionary
Governmnet in an unfavourable light".
Frankly speaking, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion so too is
Sir Paul, but it is quite clear that any one who lived here during the 1979-83 period and has an iota of honesty would quickly
dispel some of the accusations made in Sir Paul's book.
Take for instance, the former GG telling his readers and the world that there
were 15 Soviets let loose as teachers in our schools. It is dishonest to make such misleading accusation when all honest Grenadians
know that was not true. During the revolutionary period several mistakes were made but this is not a license to invent things
about that period.
It is advisable that Grenadians and all progressive people read
Mr. Harts book "Setting the record staright". It sends a dagger into the heart of Sir Pauls many unfounded and misleading
allegations.
Whether one supported the revolution or not it is well known that during that
period Grenada had the highest agricultural production ever. It is during that period that the Markeing and National Importing
Board was born (MNIB) which is still alive today.
The false assertions made by Sir Paul must not be allowed to go unchallenged.
Twisters of historical facts must not be allowed to fool and misrepresent many who are themselves unaware of the facts.
It is unbeliveable the assertion made in Sir Paul's book, on page 40, that
it was the PRG that decided to withdraw Grenada from the OECS court system.
As outlined by Mr. Hart in his book, "On March 20 1979 a meeting
was held in Antigua where Grenada was not invited and a decision was taken to remove the judges from the West Indies
Associated Appeal Court resident in Grenada and to relocate the court's headquarters to St. Lucia. The PRG then had no alternative
than to create a Grenada Supreme Court". One would reasonable think that the Governor General at the time must have known
these well established facts.
Sir Paul went on to contradict the International Monetary Fund and the world
bank report on Grenada's economy. He said the economy was collapsing.
Setting the record straight has outlined several examples of falsehoods and
misrepresentations in Sir Pauls book and its authoor has given more than a storeroom of facts tearing apart a
book that is so misleading that those who have associated themselves with it will today feel betrayed and ashame.
Read the book your selves and be the judge.
Richard Hart practised as a solicitor in his native Jamaica from 1941-1963.
Served on the executive of the Peoples National Party of which he was a foundation member in 1938. He migrated to
England in 1965 and worked as a solicitor to a local authority there. In 1982 he went to Grenada as legal adviser then served
as Attorney General. After the American invasion Mr. Hart returned to England. He is the author of several books on Caribbean
history.
