Williams interfering with police investigation: Grimes

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams violated centuries of parliamentary tradition by reinstating a cabinet minister under police investigation, former Liberal premier Roger Grimes charges.

Grimes said Williams also erred byblaming legislative staff for double-billing involving two members of his Progressive Conservative caucus.

"It just shouldn't be happening, when the premier is setting himself up to be above the law," Grimes told CBC News Tuesday.

"That's very, very dangerous."

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has openeda fileinto double-billings of constituency allowances involving Transportation Minister John Hickey and Humber Valley MHA Kathy Goudie. A decision has evidently not yet been made on whether to pursue a full investigation.

The double-billings were uncovered by Auditor General John Noseworthy, as part of an ongoing investigation into house of assembly spending.

Both Hickey andGoudiesay the mistakes were the result of clerical errors. Hickey repaid his $3,770 last week, and Goudie said she will repay her double-billings of $3,818.

Goudie said she knew nothing about constituency entitlements when she took office, and received no training. Her claims included a meal eaten several months before she was elected in the 2003 general election, as well as for hercar insurance.

Williams reinstated Hickey as transport minister on Monday, four days after asking him to step aside and only a few hours before Noseworthy released his report.

Grimes said Williams has interfered in the RNC investigation, which was opened after the Department of Justice received Noseworthy's report.

"It's totally wrong," Grimes said. "It's almost like he's trying to tell the police, 'You can investigate it, but I'm telling you, don't dare try to find anything wrong, because I've put this guy back in the cabinet.' "

Former premier 'walking dangerous line': Williams

Williams responded sharply Tuesday, dismissing Grimes's concerns as having a "holier-than-thou" air, and saying that it is Grimes who has prejudged the investigation.

"He's basically clearly impugning guilt to these people, and saying this couldn't be errors," Williams told CBC News.

"He's walking a dangerous line there."

Grimes, who retired from politics in 2005, said politicians themselves are ultimately responsible for the integrity of their expense claims.

"You can't have a double-billing circumstance unless the member involved submits a bill twice in the first instance," Grimes told CBC News. "So, it's not the responsibility of any staff person to tell someone not to submit the same bill twice."

On Monday, while reinstating Hickey, Williams blamed poor controls and bad bookkeeping at the house of assembly for the double-billing errors.

Williams said Tuesday he did not prejudgea police investigation, and said he reinstated Hickey because he had asked financial advisers, including the comptroller general, to review the double-billing issue.

Williams said he was satisfied that Hickey had done nothing wrong.

Williams, whosaid Grimes is trying to score political points, raised the issue of Noseworthy'sstartling reports from last summer and fall on overpayments of constituency allowances, which cost Williams one of his own cabinet ministers.

"Even with respect to his three former cabinet ministers, who are accused of $750,000 of misappropriation, there's a presumption of innocence," said Williams.

Three Liberals current MHAs Percy Barrett and Wally Andersen and former member Jim Walsh were among the five politicians named in Noseworthy's reports.

Also named were Ed Byrne, who stepped down as natural resources minister in Williams's cabinet and subsequently quit politics altogether, and New Democrat Randy Collins.

Williams said the newest investigations are entirely different in scope than those reported last year.