ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA: The island’s Governor General Sir Daniel Williams has announced that Barbadian jurist Richard Cheltenham will be the sole commissioner to look into allegations of wrong doings against Prime Minister Keith Mitchell. In a television address last night, Sir Daniel said that Cheltenham, a one-time Barbados cabinet member, will be sworn in as the commissioner within two weeks, and after that the schedule for the commission will be established. The Grenada Governor General called Cheltenham “a prominent and highly respected Caribbean jurist, who is regarded as a specialist in the area of commissions of inquiry.” He has been a member of the Privy Council since 1996. He was the lead commissioner into inquiry into corruption into Antigua’s Medical Benefits Scheme a few years ago. Under the terms of the commission, Cheltenham will inquire into the circumstances surrounding the appointment of German fraudster Eric Resteiner as a Grenadian diplomat, as well as the allegations that Prime Minister Mitchell received a half million dollar bribe in return. He is also mandated to look into procedures for the reimbursement of funds for expenses for official travel since Prime Minister Mitchell claimed the money he received was “approximately 15-thousand dollars”, and was reimbursement for legitimate expenses. The announcement of the set up of the commission comes over a month after Prime Minister Mitchell himself told a parliament sitting that the Governor General was moving in that direction. There has been no official reaction as yet from the official opposition who previous to the announcement had called for a select committee of parliament to be involved in putting together the commission. Guyanese lawyer Finton Ramsahoy will serve as special legal counsel to the commission, and former Grenada school principal Glenda Mason-Francis, will be the secretary, Sir Daniel also announced in his five-minute address. “It is the wish of my office that the proceedings of this commission will bring quick and fair conclusion to the matters to be investigated which have brought much public disquiet and concern,” Sir Daniel said. Meantime, in a related story, opposition leader Tillman Thomas said he is yet to be served with any legal papers for the talked-about suit filed against him by Prime Minister Mitchell. The partly state owned Grenada Broadcasting Network reported last week that Thomas has been sued for the Prime Minister for remarks he made on the bribery allegations. Thomas confirmed to CARIBUPDATE Wednesday that he had heard the report, but has not been served any papers. Party sources say that as far as they are aware deputy National Democratic Congress leader George Prime, whom reports say has been sued, has also not been served with any papers. SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM