ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada; Grenada's Opposition Leader Michael Baptiste is to make his first court appearance on September 15th.

Baptiste is expected to appear in the Grenville Magistrate's Court on September 15th, though his trial is not expected to start in earnest at that time.

According to sources the Opposition leader's legal team will be pushing for a speedy trial hoping to have information damaging to the government in the open before a general election.

But legal sources say based on the way the Grenada court system operates it could be quite a few months before actual evidence is heard in the case.

Baptiste was charged Tuesday with three counts of fraud over a two year period. The police's claim is that he pocketed over 200-thousand EC dollars meant for government's coffers.

The Opposition Leader, who is on a 230-thousand dollar bail, is claiming political harassment.

"It's clearly political harassment. As you could see elections just around
the corner and they recognized that they can't defeat us in St Andrew, so they are using all kind of tactics to do everything possible to deflect public's attention from the real issues," Baptiste shortly after his
release from police custody.

Baptiste's defence attorneys, Anslem Clouden, who is also a Senator appointed on the recommendation of Baptiste and Francis Alexis, himself the leader of an opposition political party, are convinced that the charges against Baptiste is the beginning of a political offensive by the ruling NNP administration, as the island prepares to face the poll.

"The empire is striking back. Mr Baptiste took a stand and the empire has struck back and quite obviously, what is being indicated here is that all strategies will be used to try to silence opponents of the government and to try to cow the people of this country. But we are ready, we are ready to face them, Dr Alexis said.

"We are prepared to meet them on all battle fields. In the streets, on the television, in the law courts, everywhere. No stones shall be left
unturned." Clouden said.

"We have emerging in this country a very dangerous dictatorship. Akin to that of Zimbabwe, to Charles Taylor of Liberia. We have our own dictator here in the person of Dr Keith Mitchell," Clouden said.

His lawyers think Baptiste is being punished for being outspoken against the policies of the Mitchell administration after they fell out three years ago, forcing him to lead the opposition in parliament.

Baptiste initially won his seat as a member of Mitchell's party eight months after he allegedly received his first payment.

There has been no comment from the government on Baptiste's legal troubles. An official said, since it is a legal matter, there is not expected to be any.

But the development in the last 48 hours have been the main talking point among Grenadians here.




PROVIDED BY CARIBUPDATE.COM