Caribbean
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has blocked Cabral Douglas, son of former Dominica Prime Minister Rosie Douglas from suing the government over the cancellation of a concert and the eventual deportation of Jamaica reggae artiste Tommy Lee Sparta and his entourage, in February 2014.
Douglas, a lawyer, was contracted with Jamaican artiste management firm Heavy D Promotions Ltd for Tommy Lee to perform at a privately-owned entertainment venture to mark the opening of Portsmouth Carnival.’
However, Lee’s team on their arrival at the Douglas / Charles airport were denied entry and detained in what Douglas described as “inhumane conditions.
This led to the cancellation of the show which was financed by Douglas, who demanded US$3 million for the government.
The CCJ ruled in its judgement that Douglas failed to prove a breach of treaty rights under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which were intended to benefit him directly.
The judges also held that it was not possible to access the court’s original jurisdiction merely because another person’s rights under the Treaty may have been breached.
Bahamas
Bahamas police are investigating four people who were killed and others wounded in a recent bloody week-end.
Two weeks ago a man was shot and killed while standing outside of his home by two armed gunmen.
And the police said two separate shooting incidents have claimed the life of one man and two others hospitalized.
Investigators said in the first incident, a group of people were attending a party, when occupants of a car pulled up and fired several shots into the crowd before speeding off.
Two men were shot and taken to hospital where they remain in a serious condition.
In the second incident, an unidentified man was shot while standing near his him in a drive-by shooting. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Two police officers have been hospitalized after they were shot by a suspect, who has since been detained.
Barbados
Former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur is expressing concern that the island’s Central Bank could soon be running out of foreign reserves.
He said the Caribbean island is heading for a serious financial crisis.
Arthur, an economist who served as prime minister from 1994 to 2008, said the reserves at the bank have fallen from Bds $1.5 billion to Bds $600 million and that the Frenduel administration has three months to get its act together to avert a total collapse of the economy.
Arthur told the Barbados Nation newspaper that the next three months will perhaps become the most decisive in the modern Barbados experience and could determine what happens for the next generation.
He said the bad policy of printing money to cover government’s deficit over the past few years is partly responsible for the country’s economic situation.
Dominica
Dominica Opposition Leader Lennox Linton has dismissed claims that his UWP party was behind the recent violent disturbance following an anti-government protest, which resulted in the vandalism of nine business and 32 arrests.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit claimed that there was an attempt by opposition parties to to overthrow the government.
In a national address, Skerrit alleged that it was the “militant, irresponsible behavior of the leadership of the main opposition IWP and the Dominica Freedom party (DFP) that triggered the action.”
He said the police have been tipped off about the plan by opposition forces.
However, Linton lashed back, categorically denying there was a plan to overthrow the government.
Guyana
A High Court Judge in Guyana has sentenced two men to death for their involvement in the 2008 massacre when gunmen attacked the small Bartica mining town near the Essequibo River, killing 12 people, including three police officers.
Mark Royden Williams was found guilty on seven charges of murder and five counts of manslaughter, while Dennis Williams was also found guilty of seven counts of murder by a 12-member jury recently.
A third accused, Roger Anthony Simon was freed of all 12 counts of murder and seven counts of manslaughter.
According to the charges, the three accused were among a number of gunmen, who on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, attacked the small mining town in Bartica, killing 12 residents in the bloody rampage.
After the murders, the gang is reported to have stolen arms, cash, ammunition and a vehicle from the police station.
The men then used the stolen vehicle to drive through the streets of Bartica shooting at civilians. They then fled Bartica by boat.
Suriname
Suriname’s state-owned oil company Staatoslie, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trinidad and Tobago-owned Petrotrin to establish a formal framework for mutual cooperation between both companies on commercial and technical fronts.
In a media release Petrotrin stated that the MoU which was signed by both companies, focused on both the “upstream and downstream arms of the crude oil value chain”
“Upstream, Staasolie has several near offshore blocks ranging from exploration through appraisal and development, for which opportunities for partnering with Petrotrin,” the release said.
The Company is also interested in applying enhanced oil recovery strategies in onshore blocks to improve oil recovery and this represents another area where Petrotrin will share its expertise,” Petrotrin said.
Staatsolie, like Petrotrin is involved in exploration and production and refining and marketing is also involved in retail product sales, commercial power generation and gold mining.
In 2016, Staatsolie commissioned a new refinery with a capacity of 15,000 barrels a day.
Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and his Caribbean counterparts have agreed on a draft roadmap for the region’s single information and communications and technology (ICT) space.
A release issued by the Office of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said the decision was made on the final day of the recent two-day CARICOM Heads of Government Intersessional Summit in Guyana.
The single ICT space was identified by CARICOM leaders as critical to accelerating the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
— compiled by Azad Ali
