MP maintains innocence in Savvy Entertainment loan saga
Op-ed from Minister of Housing & Municipalities, Zane DeSilva:
Recent articles in The Royal Gazette have referenced a case involving alleged fraud related to Mr. Blakey and Savvy Entertainment. It is a matter of public record that I was charged with a money laundering offence.
Let me be clear, I loaned Kevin Smith $200,000 to invest with Mr. Blakey.
Mr. Blakey reneged on that loan and Kevin was unable to pay me back. We pursued Blakey and he sent me $100,000. However, once the police investigation demonstrated that the $100,000 paid to me came from the $800,000 he swindled from the Bermuda Government, I returned it as anyone would.
Kevin Smith and I continued to pursue Blakey for the remainder of the debt. Happily, we managed to secure a further $60,000 in repayments before he disappeared, a matter I brought to the attention of the police officers investigating the matter. He still owes Kevin Smith $140,000. I will continue to do all I can to assist him to get that money back.
This case, including all relevant evidence, was fully reviewed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who made the decision not to proceed with the case. Despite this, The Royal Gazette have chosen to rely on confidential Police statements that is part of their investigation. It is very worrying for the integrity of Police enquiries that emails and other documents obtained during a legitimate investigation are now in the public domain. This is a continuing enquiry. There is an extradition warrant out for Mr. Blakey to be brought back to Bermuda so that he can be prosecuted for Fraud.
There is a presumption of innocence that I am entitled to and, in fairness even he is entitled to. The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of our justice system, and when legal matters are tried in the press, instead of the courts, it compromises the integrity of the police investigation, undermines public trust and strikes at the administration of justice.
The decision by the Royal Gazette to try this matter in the press is likely to lead to Mr. Blakey being able to complain that he cannot get a fair trial in Bermuda and thus avoid extradition altogether.
I call upon His Excellency the Governor and the Commissioner of Police to launch an immediate investigation into how this confidential information has been leaked. We all want Mr. Blakey brought back to Bermuda so that he may face trial and the police should be concentrating their efforts at ensuring that happens – rather than allowing rogue officer/s to disclose confidential information.
Hon. Zane DeSilva, JP, MP
