Black Immigrant Daily News

The government says it will likely file an injunction this week which will put a stop to the Barbuda Council’s move to issuing land certificates in violation of the Privy Council’s recent ruling that all land on Barbuda is owned by the Crown.

Last week, the government issued a statement urging the Council to desist their illegal course of action.

The Council was further cautioned that anyone involved in issuing land certificates for property in Barbuda could face legal action.

What happens next will depend on the outcome of a meeting that was scheduled for Monday night between the Council and the island’s residents and whether they collectively heed the warning issued by the Attorney General and the Cabinet.

Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin said the Council’s intended move would violate the Privy Council ruling which could result in legal consequences for the perpetrators.

“We don’t want to make martyrs of anyone but the Council’s planned action flies in the face of the law.

“It was the Council that took the matter to the Privy Council in the first place and now that it has made its ruling they are the ones seeking to contravene its provisions,” Benjamin explained.

He said the government is prepared to allow those who wish to continue living on the land under the “ownership in common” arrangement proposed by the Council will be allowed to do so, but those desirous of obtaining outright ownership will have the opportunity to do so.

Prime Minister Browne described the Council’s actions as a “knee-jerk” attempt to make the land issue central to the next general elections.

“How can the Council issue land certificates when they don’t own the lands? There is something fraudulent about that.

“I think Trevor Walker is going down the wrong road. The land situation in Barbuda is a settled issue, the Privy Council has ruled, so how can the Council now say that it can issue land certificates when they never owned the lands?

“This is a situation where they are recklessly violating the laws of the land and I believe there should be personal implications for those who are involved in this process,” he said.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has backed up this position saying while his administration would rather not have anyone face criminal charges over their involvement in the proposed plan, the government is prepared to pursue whatever action is necessary if the law is broken.

Browne urged the Council to abandon their plan to issue land certificates to Barbuda’s.

He also accused MP Walker and the Council of attempting to “create confusion” in Barbuda, particularly in light of the fact that the issue of land has for decades been intensely emotive.

Taking aim at Barbuda’s parliamentary representative, Browne asked, “How many elections do you intend to win based on scare-mongering over lands?” -POINTE XPRESS

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The original purpose for public service media, public broadcasting or journalism in the public interest have been to be a barricade against ignorance and a beacon of enlightenment and knowledge.

This key weapon in the Arsenal of Democracy is having its values and relevance threatened, placing media in the Caribbean in a battle of their lives.

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New UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell dubs himself the “Accountability Chief” during opening speech at COP27.

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A 57-year-old woman from Gasparillo was granted $10,000 bail with a surety on Monday when she appeared before a San Fernando magistrate for allegedly beating her husband.

The accused faced senior magistrate Amina Deonarinesingh charged with assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threatening to kill him.

The court referred her to Alcoholics Anonymous and ordered that she reports to the Gasparillo police station once per week.

The case was adjourned to December 15.

Police said at around 2.15 pm on Sunday, the 63-year-old alleged victim was in the driver’s seat of a car near Bay Road Junction in Vistabella when the accused approached the vehicle.

She allegedly hit him several times on his head and face with her fists.

At around 4 pm on the same date, the man was at home with the woman when an argument ensued.

The police said she became angry and allegedly hit him several blows to his back and face. She also allegedly threatened to kill him.

A report was made to the Gasparillo police station. The police arrested and charged the woman the same day.

Acting Supt Claire Guy-Alleyne, ASP Seecharan, Insp Ramphall, and Sgt Banwarie led the investigations.

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A 32-year-old man was on Tuesday stabbed to death by a colleague during a row over marijuana.

Dead is Shirwayne Underwood of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The incident occurred at around 03:00hrs on Tuesday at Policeman Corner, La Parfaite Harmonie. The suspect, a 29-year-old resident also of Parfaite Harmonie, has since been arrested.

Reports are that the duo were imbibing when they had a misunderstanding over marijuana.

In a press release, the Guyana Police Force explained that “it is alleged that the suspect told the now-dead man that weed was “bush weed”, and as a result, the suspect dealt the now-dead man a punch to the side of his head and a fight ensued.”

During the fight, the suspect whipped out a knife and dealt Underwood a single stab to his abdomen.

After being stabbed, Underwood ran a short distance away before he collapsed. He was picked up in a conscious state by public-spirited persons and rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he later succumbed to his injury.

The suspect, who made good his escape from the scene, was later arrested at about 06:20 on Tuesday.

He was escorted to Parfaite Harmonie Police Station, where he gave a video-recorded statement under caution, admitting to the crime.

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