Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 05, 2022- The Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs; International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Economic Development and Investment, is currently in Lima, Peru attending the 52nd Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS). He is accompanied by Mrs. Sonia Boddie-Thompson, Counsellor and Alternate Representative of the Permanent Mission of St. Kitts and Nevis to the OAS.

The 52nd OAS General Assembly is being held from October 5-7, 2022, at the Lima Convention Centre, under the theme ‘Together Against Inequality and Discrimination’. Foreign Minister Douglas will engage with counterparts from across the hemisphere to discuss key issues regarding strengthening democracy, promotion and protection of human rights, multidimensional security, and integral development, which are the key pillars of the OAS.  The Minister will also deliver the national statement outlining the Federation’s foreign policy priorities and reiterate the commitment of St. Kitts and Nevis to the principles and values espoused in the Charter of the OAS. St. Kitts and Nevis joined the OAS in 1984.

The OAS General Assembly is a foreign minister-level meeting and is the supreme organ of the 35-member states organization.  The OAS was founded in 1948 and it is the world’s oldest regional organization and the main forum for political dialogue in the hemisphere.

This is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the annual General Assembly is being held in-person.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Member of Parliament for St Catherine Southern, Fitz Jackson says a probe is to be carried out into reports that people with documents to show that they were given approval by the authorities to be on sections of Bernard Lodge property were also affected by a demolition exercise that took place on Thursday.

Jackson gave the update in an interview with Loop News hours after approximately 10 unfinished houses were destroyed as members of a joint police-military team swooped down on a location where Prime Minister, Andrew Holness served notice that structures constructed illegally on lands reportedly captured and sold by gangsters in that St Catherine area were to be destroyed.

According to the prime minister, gangsters have captured the lands in proximity to Clifton and have been preying on residents.

On Thursday as the operation took place several residents could be seen gathered in the area some of them spoke in hushed tones calming that they were not in full agreement with what was happening. There were claims that there were people in that area who had spent millions to construct the structures and had their letters of possession to be in the area.

Holness said the lands, which fall within the Government’s Greater Bernard Lodge Development Plan, will be formalized and owners given titles, he made the statement while raising concern that criminals had captured a section designated for agriculture.

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Tobago

File photo

TWO Tobago men who were previously successful in their malicious-prosecution lawsuit and were ordered to receive over $.8 million in compensation will not receive a cent, as the Court of Appeal has upheld a challenge by the State.

Instead, Keron Quamina, a snack vendor, and Malco Kent, a craft vendor, who were jointly charged with a 2008 murder, but later got off in the magistrates’ court, will have to pay $23,324 to the State in legal costs.

On Thursday, Justices of Appeal Gregory Smith and Mira Dean-Armorer overturned the June 2020 decision of then High Court judge Justice James Aboud, who faulted the police investigation of the November 26, 2008, murder of hardware owner, Billy Caesar. He found “malice” on the part of the charging officer, PC Eastman.

The charges against both men were dismissed in February 2011 at the Scarborough Magistrates Court. According to Aboud’s judgment, the prosecution’s case was based on a written statement of Kirk Thomas, a wanted man who never appeared before the magistrate, but who identified both men as Caesar’s killers.

Thomas had not been interviewed by Eastman and at the appeal, the State argued that Eastman received advice from the then acting Director of Public Prosecutions that there was sufficient information to charge both men, so the judge was “plainly wrong” to conclude that the police acted with malice.

Aboud said a prudent officer ought to have considered further investigations were needed because of Thomas’s “sketchy information.” Aboud said he was of the opinion that Eastman was prompted by improper and indirect motives in charging the two men and had no reasonable and probable cause to do so.

However, the Appeal Court judges said they disagreed with Aboud’s analysis and conclusions.

Kokaram, who delivered an oral summary of their decision, also said the judge was wrong to infer malice on the part of the charging officer. He said even if it was proven at the trial there was a lack of reasonable cause to arrest and charge, malice must be proven.

“The Achilles heel is malice in this case.”

He said the court could find no sinister motive on the part of the police officer to impute wrong.

“The fact that the police sought the advice of the DPP is evidence that would negate evidence of malice.”

He said while the police “acted sloppily” in their investigations, they did not do so maliciously.

“Sloppiness is different from malice,” he said.

He said the only inference that could be drawn from the evidence was that Eastman had properly discharged his duty by approaching the DPP for advice, since it was the practice in TT for the police to lay charges only after instructions from that office.

“There was no proof the officer was acting for some illegitimate or oblique motive in commencing this prosecution…There was no evidence the officer fabricated evidence to take to the DPP.

“Launching a weak case is not enough to say there was no reasonable cause or malice. (Because of) the fact that advice was sought, it would be difficult to prove malice, and this should have formed the backdrop for the judge to analyse, which he omitted to do.”

The State was represented by attorney Ebo Jones. Nera Narine represented Quamina and Kent at the appeal.

Aboud had ordered that each man should receive $350,000 in damages and Kent was to receive an additional $120,000 for loss of earnings and for his legal fees at the magistrates’ court, while Qumaina was expected to receive an additional $45,000 for loss of earnings.

With the Appeal Court overturning the judge’s decision, neither man will receive a payout.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Zonal Preliminaries of the Lions Club South Secondary Schools Public Speaking Competition will continue today with schools in Zone three.

The students will debate the topic “RUSSIA’S IMPERIAL AMBITION, MANIFESTED IN THE UKRAINE WAR, WITH ALL ITS RAMIFICATIONS, JUSTIFIES THE CLAIM THAT THE KREMLIN IS THE SOURCE OF ALL EVIL.”

The event takes place at Frenches House from 1:30 this afternoon and will be broadcast live on NBC Radio.

The Zonal preliminaries will conclude on Friday October 7 when students in Zone 4 will debate the topic – “MARINE AND AIR TRANSPORTATION ARE CRITICAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR REGION. THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT WE ARE BEHIND THE 8 BALL AS FAR AS OUR DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES ARE CONCERNED.”

The top six public speakers will be selected to go on to represent their schools in the final of the Competition, slated for Tuesday 25th October at the Methodist Church Hall.

The Public Speaking Competition which began in 1999, is part of the Club’s youth outreach programme and aims to foster healthy public debate among the nation’s youth.

It also affords them an opportunity to improve and enhance their oratory skills in a keenly contested environment.

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