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COURT WIN: Gymnast Thema Williams with her attorneys Martin Daly, SC, and Keith Scotland, left, at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain in November 2018. File photo/Sureash Cholai

FORMER national gymnast Thema Williams has initiated garnishee proceedings against the TT Gymnastics Federation (TTGF) for the judgment debt still owed to her four years after a High Court judge ordered the federation to compensate her.

On November 26, 2018, Justice Frank Seepersad said Williams was entitled to $200,000 for loss of endorsements and other opportunities because of the federation’s “biased” and flawed decision to withdraw her from representing this country in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was replaced with Canadian-born alternate Marisa Dick.

The court-ordered compensation was a fraction of what Williams asked for – her claim was for $11 million – but Seepersad ordered $150,000 in exemplary damages and $50,000 for loss of opportunity to earn promotional income.

Four years on the money is yet to be paid, and the sum owed to Williams has ballooned to $238,490.90 by virtue of the five per cent interest from the date of judgment.

On October 3, Williams’s attorneys, Darrell Allahar and Reza Ramjohn began the garnishee proceedings against the TTGF and sought a provisional order – which the judge granted – for a temporary freeze on at least one of the federation’s accounts at Republic Bank Ltd (RBL) to cover the judgment debt, interest and costs.

If granted, the garnishee order will allow the federation’s bankers to surrender money to settle the debt.

The bank is represented by attorney Tonya Rowley and affidavits are expected to be filed by the institution on the funds in the federation’s account to satisfy the judgment debt.

On Thursday, the federation’s attorney Farai Hove Maisasai asked Seepersad not to finalise the provisional order, as his clients wanted to put in an affidavit to account for the funds in the RBL account. Maisasai said preliminary instructions from the federation are that the money in the account was given by the State as funding for a specific purpose and “not to be paid at will.”

The attorney also said there was no need for the bank to put in evidence, but the judge rejected this, saying the court preferred the evidence of the federation’s financial status to come from its bankers.

“I am not on the issue of the purpose of the money. They can say how much money is in the account. The onus is on the federation to say it shouldn’t be subject to the court’s order,” the judge said.

Named as defendants in the proceedings are the TTGF, its former directors, and the bank.

Seepersad said he was quite alarmed that a decision given in November 2018 had not yet been satisfied.

“Compliance with the rule of law is mandatory. For the defendant and particularly the first defendant (TTGF) (to) be in default of a court judgment for nearly four years is unacceptable.”

He gave the federation a week to file its affidavit and until October 21 to file submissions of law and facts, before the next hearing on October 27, when the judge is expected to rule.

Until then, his provisional order remains in effect.

Allahar and Rowley also told the judge they will both be making a cost application.

In her legal battle with the federation, Williams said the decision to withdraw her from the Olympic test event was harsh and oppressive, flawed and biased against her.

Williams, by virtue of her higher score at the World Championships in Glasgow, was given the nod over Marisa Dick to compete at the Olympic Test event – Aquece Final Gymnastics Qualifier – in April 2016. She and her coach John Geddert were in Brazil preparing for the Olympic qualifier when the TTGF decided to replace her with Dick.

Williams claimed the federation told Geddert she was withdrawn because she was injured, a claim she denied.

Dick was flown in from Canada and eventually qualified as the first person to represent TT in gymnastics at the Olympics.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Editor

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

A Corentyne cattle farmer is seeking the intervention of senior government officials after his cattle were allegedly taken to a pound by persons who were previously licensed to impound stray animals.

A few months ago, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has announced that the Stray Catcher’s Unit was disbanded, noting that the unit faced a plethora of allegations relating to wrongdoings, and had caused tremendous trouble.

However, on Tuesday, a group of persons who were attached to the unit on the Upper Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) impounded twelve head of cattle belonging to a farmer.

Jagdesh Dinnauth of Number 56 Village, who has between 40 and 50 head of cattle, told this publication that on Tuesday he was grazing his cattle in the backlands at Number 57 Village, and had some with him while 12 others were a short distance away.

“The front set was by the bridge, and some guys come and start to circle up the cow them. Another cattle farmer come and tell me that some guys hold up my cows.”

Dinnauth said he confronted the men, who told him they were taking the animals to the pound.

“I tell them that none of them planting rice here, and they say is ‘Black Boy’ pounding the cows, and I tell them that ‘Black Boy’ not planting rice here.”

According to the cattle farmer, who also cultivates 70 acres of rice, the men tried to make a deal with him, suggesting that he gives them half of the money which the pound would take and they will loose the animals.

The fee at the pound is $8000 per head of cattle impounded, and an additional fee is charged for each day the animal stays in the pound. That fee is charged for feeding of the impounded animals.

Dinnauth has said he did not strike a bargain, but allowed the animals to be taken away.T

he Number 51 Police Station refused to accept the animals’, citing provisions in the law, which allows for anyone who had suffered as a result of animals that were not under control to get an officer of the law and estimate the damages, and then have the animal owner prosecuted.

The animals were taken to the pound at Number 55 Village, which is owned and operated by the 52-74 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

Dinnauth says the men are claiming the cattle was at ‘Black Boy’s farm, which is situated at Number Naught Village.

“To get from Number Naught, you have to jump six trenches, and none of the cow foot get mud and all the trenches the water dry out and is sheer mud. Is since this morning I with my cows,” he said he related to the ‘cow catchers’.

Dinnauth said he contacted Region Six Chairman David Armogan after the animals were taken to the NDC pound, and was advised to contact the Agriculture Minister. He said he was advised by the Minister to contact the Police, which he did.

Meanwhile, this publication understands that on Wednesday afternoon the NDC was advised by the Police to release the animals after meeting with the various parties. However, the NDC has not heeded the advice.

When contacted for a comment, Chairman of 52-74 NDC, Nandcham Gancham, said he was waiting at the NDC on Dinnauth to have the matter investigated. After being reminded that this publication was speaking to him on his home landline, Gancham said the animals will be released after an investigation.

Dinnauth, who had gone to the NDC to meet the Chairman, who was not there, said he was told that the animals will only be released after the pound fees are paid.

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Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Hon. Joachim Henry has enunciated Saint Lucia’s commitment to overcoming structural barriers that impede and disproportionately affect populations in situations of vulnerability.

Fresh from attending the September 29 & 30, 2022, 14th Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) which was held in Ecuador, Minister Henry told his counterparts that Saint Lucia reaffirms its determination to achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as outlined by the United Nations.

Minister Henry pledged Saint Lucia’s continued support to strengthening regional ties on matters of social and economic dimensions and expressed a general willingness to collaborate on proposals that would lead to further development and enhancement of social protection systems across the sub-region.

He went further in joining with calls from the august body for a deliberate strengthening of alliances between developmental actors, including governments and private sector, for the eventual fulfillment of all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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The over a dozen strong sub-regional Ministerial Forum, called for a more robust move towards social protection systems that are  shock responsive and that contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth, poverty and vulnerability reduction and  resilience building.

In the end, Ministers agreed to consolidate social protection systems that are universal, fiscally sustainable and favorable to growth. They also agreed that these systems needed to provide economic empowerment for all, balancing gender roles and responsibilities.

The two-day Ministerial Forum convened under the theme, “Recalibrating…How to Get Back on Track Towards the SDGs,” was organized by the Government of Ecuador, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Saint Lucia recently completed a comprehensive revision of its National Social Protection Policy (NSPP), which has since been presented to the island’s Cabinet of Ministers.

SOURCE: Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment/SLT

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