He was allegedly driving drunk when his government issued Nissan Patrol knocked down 15-year-old Samantha Romero and her two year old nephew Denver Gomez on Sunday and today for the first time since the incident, Marcial Mes visited his young victims. Late this morning, Mes along with his wife visited the Romero family at the KHMH. There he met 15-year-old Samantha in a stable condition and 2-year-old Denver is still unconscious. We don't know what Mes told the family but when the 7NEWS team ran him down after his visit, Mes had nothing to say. After staking him out at the hospital, we caught him across the street at a drugstore and Keith Swift caught him when he exited.
Keith Swift,
Mr. Mes do you have anything to say?
Hon. Marcial Mes,
[Walking Away] "I am so sorry, I have no comments to make."
Keith Swift,
So you have nothing to say?
Hon. Marcial Mes,
[Getting Into Taxi] "Nothing at all."
The family confirmed to us that whatever Mes went to do in the drug store, it was not for them. The good news out of his visit though is that he has began helping them with the medical bills. The family tells us that Samantha will undergo Surgery tonight to repair her broken leg. Unfortunately there is no new significant development on the condition of 2 year old Denver as he is still unconscious.
And as we reported last night - Prime Minister Said Musa has suspended Mes from his duties as a Minister of State. Mes is the junior minister to National Development Minister Mark Espat. Espat today told us that he will wait on the outcome of the court case to judge Mes but he stressed that PM Musa's decision to suspend Mes was, "decisive."
Hon. Mark Espat,
"I think the events are regrettable indeed and the Prime Minister and I spoke yesterday and he informed me, before the issuance of the press release, that he had made the decision to suspend Minister Mes pending the outcome of the court proceedings."
Keith Swift,
But is that suspension enough?
Hon. Mark Espat,
"Keith as I said, I certainly regret very much what took place. I pray and hope that both young people will recover quickly and will recover completely. As it relates to Minister Mes' membership in the Cabinet, I think the Prime Minister moved decisively and quickly to suspend him from his duties pending the outcome of the legal case by the police against him. I am not certain there is anything else that could be done. That is why there are courts and he will be tried in a court just as any citizen will be."
