Shane Miller’s six-month contract appointing him as Acting Registrar General has allegedly expired and he has been sent back to his old job, the Guardian has been informed.
But an attempt to confirm this was met with a wall of silence from the Minister of Financial Services and Investment, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, who has overall responsibility for the office.
“I have no comments about the Registrar General Department, but you may want to speak with the Attorney General’s Office,” she told the Guardian via telephone.
An attempt to speak with the Attorney General’s Director of Legal Affairs, Deborah Frasier, proved futile.
The Guardian was told: “Ms Frasier is not able to deal with this matter at this present time. She would like to know if you could call her in the morning.”
Bahamas Public Services Union president, John Pinder, who represents the 30 plus line staff at the department, said yesterday Mr Miller’s last day in office was Friday past.
“I don’t think he was placed on administrative leave, I think his contract expired and they did not renew it. His last day was Friday. He is back at the Attorney General’s Office so you only have one Registrar General now,” Mr Pinder reported.
He hoped that now some semblance of order will be returned to the department, as both Mr Miller and Elizabeth Thompson, who was terminated from the post in January but was later reinstated by the Supreme Court, were laying claim to the high office.
“It was creating some problems in there in that they (staff) were caught in the middle of trying to determine who to take directions from. I had asked the Permanent Secretary to have a meeting with them but she went on leave. The Acting Permanent Secretary, Eugene Poitier, had a conference call meeting with them and he informed them that any documents to be signed must be sent to him. He determined that they were to follow his directions. That kind of cleared up things a little bit for them until the matter is resolved,” Mr Pinder said.
Mr Miller was appointed on Jan. 11. The government plans to appeal the Supreme Court’s ruling with regard to Mrs Thompson.
But for now, a Guardian source said, under the law a person appointed (like Mr Miller) in an acting position are only able to maintain that position for six months. The Judicial and Legal Service Commission is said to be the only body with authority to extend Mr Miller’s deadline.
When contacted, Mrs Thompson’s attorney, Milton Evans, was of the view that the Commission was unlikely to do so without the dispute at the Department being resolved.
Mr Evans explained what this new development meant for his client.
“It is difficult to say that it does not affect, but ultimately I think the main thing that we are looking for is some form of resolution. I think the government has made it quite clear that they are not looking forward to having her (Ms Thompson) there on a permanent basis. I suppose if there was some hope that was going to happen then this may affect it, but I think ultimately they have made it quite clear that they want Mr Miller and not Mrs Thompson. It is just that as far as we are concerned, if that is what they want they need to give her what is rightfully hers,” Mr Evans said.
He indicated that negotiations on the matter have resumed between him and the government in terms of trying to come up with a solution to the matter in short order.
In the meantime, a Guardian source is alleging that the government is in negotiations over offering Mrs Thompson a $260,000 settlement to vacate the position.
Attorney General Alfred Sears could not be reached up to press time.
By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
