Justice Minister ‘botched’ Marrache parole – GSD

The GSD has accused the Justice Minister of ‘botching’ Isaac Marrache’s release from prison on parole, as the row over the matter ignited once again yesterday.
This comes after the Government suggested that Mr Marrache was released because of legislation introduced by the Leader of the Opposition, Danny Feetham, when he was Minister for Justice – claims the GSD yesterday described as “surreal”
“It takes their ‘blame the GSD’ mantra to a whole new level,” the GSD said in a statement.
It is also not true, the Opposition said, adding that the qualifying period for parole has been in existence for decades and has nothing to do with Mr Feetham or the GSD.
The GSD said it introduced the current appeal procedure, whereby the Minister for Justice was given the power to ask the Supreme Court to review the decision of the Parole Board, where he felt, on the face of their reasoning, that the Parole Board had got it wrong.
“It is that procedure that the current Minister for Justice, Mr Costa, has botched in the case of Isaac Marrache by placing the matter before the Supreme Court and then attempting to withdraw his application,” the Opposition said.
Mr Feetham said: “First I was accused of cutting the electricity supply to mothers and babies, and now it is my fault that Isaac Marrache has been released on parole.
“I suppose it was also my fault that the Minister so botched the matter that Mr Marrache was unlawfully at large, according to the judge, for a quite some time before the issue was finally resolved.”
“The fact is that the Government has had five years to change the law on parole. It could have done so before any of the Marrache brothers qualified for parole and it chose not to do so.”