A couple have filed a criminal suit against Attorney General Alfred Sears claiming his office has been perverting the course of justice in their civil action against the Baptist Education Authority.
Gregory and Tanya,Cash allege that the government’s legal department has repeatedly evaded requirements of the law by not filing proper documents.
In their statement of claim they also allege that the department has fabricated evidence and unlawfully removed documents from the files; obstructing justice in the process.
The action, filed in the Supreme Court, is the latest move in what Mr and Mrs Cash describe as their long “battle for justice” in a bitter dispute dating back three years.
They claim to have lost thousands of dollars in earnings and suffered real hardship following Mr Cash’s alleged “wrongful dismissal” from Jordan Prince William High School in October, 2002.
At the time, two of the couple’s children were also expelled from the school after Mrs Cash – along with other parents – sent a confidential letter of complaint to the Ministry of Education about the alleged neglect of the school.
In the letter, the parents also complained about the constant increase in school fees when the Baptist Convention, the school authority, received almost a million dollars annually in government grant.
Although confidential, the letter got into the hands of the Rev Dr- William Thompson, president of the Bahamas Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention.
Mr Cash claims he was forced to resign after threats to terminate his services if he did not apologise to the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools over remarks made about scoring methods at the association’s track and field championship.
Since then, the couple claim to have been repeatedly blocked in their efforts to get justice through the courts with two civil actions.
These name nine defendants, including the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, the Baptist Education Authority, Jordan Prince William Baptist High School, Dr William Thompson and the Ministry of Education.
When Mr Cash first resigned, several parents at Jordan Prince William claimed they were being victimised.
Mrs Cash urged Prime Minister Perry Christie to intervene and also held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt.
Parents said the victimisation reached a peak when authorities told them they had to remove their children from the school.
They said the school’s action was sparked by the parents’ attempt to find out how much the institution received in government grants.
Yesterday, Mr Cash told The Tribune: “As citizens of this country, you think that if someone wrongs you, you can turn to the system for protection – but then you find out that that’s not the case.
“It has been very challenging for me as a man. In order to take care of my family, I’ve had to put a number of things aside.”
He said the roof of his home is severely damaged and would probably lift off in a hurricane. But he can’t afford to repair it.
Wife Tanya, visibly upset, said: “Do you know what it is to drive a car that leaks?” She added: “The children keep asking: `Why are they doing this to us?”
The latest Cash court action alleges that the Attorney General’s Office and Supreme Court Registry have concealed documents and falsified accounts, including the backdating of court files.
Minister Sears, who was in a meeting when contacted by The Tribune, said he was unaware of the particulars of the law suit. He said he would request a briefing on the matter.
Messages were left at his church for Dr William Thompson, the president of the National Baptist Convention, under which the Baptist Education Authority operates, and at the office of the convention. However, no calls were returned as of press time.
Source: οΎ The Tribune – Nassau, Bahamas
