Statement on Keith Mitchell's citizenship status

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S CHAMBERS

Statement on the citizenship status

of former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell

As of this afternoon at 2.00pm a letter from United States Department of State confirmed that the Department of State made a determination on October 15th, 2001 that Keith Mitchell relinquished his citizenship on 20th June 1995.

This new information from Government of the United States came about as a result of an inquiry from the Attorney General on Wednesday 29th October 2008 of the Department of Justice, requesting that that department reconfirm its original advice to the Attorney General.

On Thursday October 30th the Attorney General received a phone call from the Department of Justice confirming the receipt of the request to reconfirm and the Department of Justice personnel indicated that that department had received communication that the original advice may not have been accurate and they were investigating.

On the morning of 31st October 2008 the Attorney General received a phone call from the Department of Justice confirming that it had been informed by the Department of State that Keith Mitchell had ceased to be a citizen on 20th June, 1995 and that the Attorney General will be contacted by the Department of State.

The Attorney General was subsequently contacted by the Department of State by telephone, which resulted in the letter from that department confirming the relinquishment of citizenship.

The result of this is that the people of Grenada are finally aware of the true status of Keith Mitchell citizenship and that his election to the House of Representatives from 1984 up to the elections in June 1995 was in breach of section 31 of the Grenada constitution. Indeed his first stint as Prime Minister, from June of 1995, is also tainted with illegality, as at the time of that election, he was a citizen of the United States of America.

This statement follows a commitment by the Attorney General to immediately provide an update as soon as information became available.