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Arrest warrants were issued, says Mottley

Sherrylyn Clarke
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Arrest warrants were issued, says Mottley

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley described as “unfortunate” the use of the word “kidnapping” to refer to the return of Trinidad and Tobago citizen Brent Thomas on an extradition request in October 2022.

Speaking in a televised interview last night after the CARICOM Leaders’ Retreat at the 50th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, Mottley said the issue was addressed two years ago.

She was referring to comments by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who said Thomas was kidnapped from Barbados and returned home via a Regional Security System aircraft.

‘Unfortunate’

“These matters were addressed since 2023 by the attorneys general of both Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. To describe it as a kidnapping is a most unfortunate term because arrest warrants were presented by the Trinidad police to the Barbados police. As to what happened, we don’t know, because we don’t get involved in operational matters,” Mottley said.

She acknowledged at the time, as previously stated by former Attorney General Dale Marshall, that the formal process of extradition, which was done with other countries, was not an intra-regional practice.

“That is why the CARICOM arrest warrant is being pursued. That is why legislation has to be passed in every CARICOM country to be able to facilitate that CARICOM arrest warrant,” Mottley said.

“But to describe it as kidnapping or to suggest that any member of Cabinet or any member of the permanent secretary class or Government of Barbados is involved in kidnapping is a scurrilous lie and defamatory in the extreme. We all know what transpired and it is regrettable that it happened.”

Marshall told the Midweek Nation

of May 10, 2023, the Government of Barbados had no knowledge of the situation until it broke in the Trinidad and Tobago press.

“We simply had no knowledge nor involvement in this matter. This is not unusual as these matters are operational and such requests for surveillance by another law enforcement arm or for arrests of individuals do not fall within our purview.”

He too disagreed with the use of the term “abduction” by Trinidad and Tobago Justice Davindra Rampersad when the matter went to court there, but accepted liability. “To the extent that there may be any legal liability attaching to the actions of the Barbados Police Service officers, I can assure you that the Government of Barbados will abide by the law and fully respect any decisions of the law courts,” Marshall said at the time.

Last night Mottley also addressed CARICOM’s relationship with the United States, marked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s attendance at the regional conference.

The Prime Minister said the region had not had any serious agreement with the US since President Ronald Reagan’s Caribbean Basin Initiative almost 50 years ago, explaining that the member states discussed a framework of cooperation on structured migration, trade and investment, disaster preparedness, security issues, human development and technical assistance.

Concern

“We recognise that we live in the same neighbourhood and that really and truly, if Caribbean people are not safe, secure, prosperous, it’s going to be very difficult for others in the neighbourhood to be so,” adding the key was to find common purpose among the differences and nuances.

There was also discussion on Cuba, most of its operations now crippled by a USled embargo. Mottley said a joint statement would be issued by the US and CARICOM on Cuba and the need to provide humanitarian support.

She said the forum acknowledged the rest of the region would be impacted by what happened in Cuba and they hoped to see a working together “to make sure that things will redound ultimately to the benefit of the Cuban people and to ensure that whatever happens does not in any way negatively affect the Caribbean”.

Mottley said in the interview there were some tangible decisions arising out of yesterday’s forum on improving governance and financing.

“We’ve been delaying a lot of these decisions and we finally agreed to set up a subcommittee of heads who will, hopefully, help us work through the weeds to make the institution of Caribbean Community even more effective than it is now,” the Prime Minister added.

The CARICOM Heads of Government meeting wraps up today.

(SAT)

West Indies legend Taylor reaches milestone of 6000 ODI runs

Philip Spooner
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West Indies legend Taylor reaches milestone of 6000 ODI runs

West Indies legend Stafanie Taylor on Wednesday became only the second woman in history to score over 6,000 runs in One-Day Internationals

The 34 year old Jamaica made 38 off 70 balls as West Indies defeated Sri Lanka in the third and final match at the Grenada National Stadium. 

In the process she reached the milestone and therefore also became the first West Indian woman to do so. 

She has also scored 3426 runs in her T20 International career, also a record for West Indies, since her debut as a teenager back in 2008. (PS) 

Financial Services Commission Appeals Tribunal established

Nationnews Desk
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Financial Services Commission Appeals Tribunal established

The Ministry of Finance has established the Financial Services Commission Appeals Tribunal, which will be chaired by the Most Honourable Christopher Blackman, Retired Justice of Appeal.            

The Appeals Tribunal has been set up pursuant to Section 25 (4) of the Financial Services Commission Act. Retired Justice Blackman will be joined by Connie Smith and Nigel Bennett. (BGIS)

Hillary Clinton tells congressional panel she has no information on Epstein

Nationnews Desk
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Hillary Clinton tells congressional panel she has no information on Epstein

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a congressional committee on Thursday that she did not remember ever meeting the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and had no information to share about his criminal activities.

“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that,” Clinton said in a statement, which she released as she delivered a closed-door deposition to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York.

Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, also accused the Republican-led panel of trying to shift focus away from President Donald Trump’s ties to Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. She said Trump’s administration has “gutted” a State Department office focused on international sex trafficking.

The hearing was paused briefly after a photo of Clinton seated at a table was leaked to social media, in a violation of committee rules, according to Clinton adviser Nick Merrill. Conservative influencer Benny Johnson, who published the photo, said it was taken by Republican Representative Lauren Boebert.

She and her husband, Democratic former President Bill Clinton, initially refused to testify before the committee, but relented when lawmakers moved to hold them in contempt of Congress.

Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify to the committee on Friday.

Before the hearing, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, a Republican, denied that the probe was a partisan effort, noting that several Democrats had pushed for the Clintons to testify.

“No one is accusing at this moment the Clintons of any wrongdoing but we do have a lot of questions,” Comer said.

He said the committee would seek to find out about any interactions she might have had with Epstein, his involvement with the Clintons’ charitable work, and any relationship she may have had with jailed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. He said transcripts of the Clintons’ interviews will be made public.

Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters that Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should also testify. Lutnick has admitted to visiting Epstein’s private island years after he says he broke off ties. Comer said it was “possible” the committee might subpoena him.

arcia and other Democrats are accusing Trump’s Justice Department of selectively withholding material from 3 million Epstein-related documents it released to shield Trump from scrutiny. That includes records of a woman who accused Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a minor, Garcia said.

“Where are these files? Who removed them? These questions have to be answered,” he said.

Back in Washington, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said several Democrats will review the unredacted files and said the Justice Department must preserve records that detail how it handled the material.

The Justice Department said it is reviewing whether any documents were improperly withheld and would publish them if appropriate. The department has previously cautioned that the material it has released includes unfounded accusations and sensationalist claims about Trump.

Law enforcement authorities have not accused Trump of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Trump socialized extensively with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, before his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Comer said evidence gathered by the panel does not implicate Trump.

Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after he left office. He has denied wrongdoing and expressed regret for his association.

According to Comer, Epstein visited the White House 17 times while Clinton was in office.

The Justice Department sought to draw attention to photos of Bill Clinton in its document dump, but they also have revealed Epstein’s ties to a long list of business and political leaders, including Lutnick and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Overseas, they have prompted criminal investigations of Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, and other prominent figures. (Reuters)

Walters against anti-defection bill

Antoinette Connell
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Walters against anti-defection bill

Amending the Constitution to prevent Members of Parliament from crossing the floor is “a proposal that strikes at the very heart of how our democracy functions, how power is exercised, and whose voice ultimately matters in this country”, says Opposition Senator Ryan Walters.

Walters, the Democratic Labour Party’s candidate for St Michael North West in the just concluded February 11 General Election, made the observation in a statement issued on Tuesday as the House of Assembly debated theConstitution (Amendment) Bill, 2026. He was appointed an Opposition senator after his party failed to capture any of the 30 seats, giving the Barbados Labour Party its third clean sweep in seven years.

“This amendment would shift power decisively away from voters and place it in the hands of party leadership. Under this proposal, an MP who speaks out against a party decision, perhaps because it harms their constituency, could face expulsion and immediate removal from Parliament, possibly at the sole discretion of the party leader.

“In effect, the voice of thousands of voters could be silenced overnight, not by an election, but by an internal party meeting.

In recent times, we have seen how dissent caused dismissal at the parliamentarian level,” he said.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of the ruling BLP signalled her intention to address the issue of crossing the floor on February 12 after the decisive victory and against a background of defections in 2018 when the party won its first 30-0 General Election and again two years after it won the January 2022 election with a similar score.

Walters, in his opposition to the amendment, said: “Let me be clear, political stability matters.

Order matters. Rules matter. But stability that is achieved by weakening democratic choice, undermining voter sovereignty and concentrating power in the hands of a few is not true stability. It is control and history teaches us that when control replaces consent, democracy suffers.”

He pointed out that there was no recognition of parties in the Constitution, only individuals, and therefore the antidefection bill should be scrapped. (AC)

PM: VAT cut would not have brought masses relief

Barry Alleyne
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PM: VAT cut would not have brought masses relief

There would have been no real relief from a reduction in value added tax (VAT).

That was made clear in the House of Assembly on Tuesday by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, as she sought to explain the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) decision to not pursue a reduction in VAT, arguing that such a move would disproportionately benefit businesses and higher-income earners rather than deliver real relief to ordinary Barbadians.

Speaking on the issue in the Lower House while introducing the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Mottley drew a distinction between the fiscal approach of the Democratic Labour Party and that of the governing BLP, saying the administration fundamentally disagreed with calls to amend VAT down from 17.5 per cent to 15 per cent.

She cautioned that a VAT cut would likely have resulted in a consolidation of wealth, with savings retained by sellers rather than passed on to consumers. While admitting that Government revenues would fall, she said there was no guarantee that prices would decrease accordingly, leaving households with little tangible benefit.

Instead, Mottley said the Government has opted for a more targeted strategy aimed at putting money directly into people’s pockets. This included expanding eligibility for the reverse tax credit and the compensatory income credit, measures she described during the election campaign as a “Government meeting turn”, where taxpayers receive a refund of their income taxes at the end of the tax year.

The Prime Minister also outlined plans for a cost-of-living cash credit for pensioners, welfare recipients and individuals receiving special needs grants, including members of the disabled community, both adults and children. Together, these initiatives are expected to total $142 million.

Mottley expressed confidence that the Government would honour these commitments when Parliament debates the Appropriations Bill, with the budget presentation scheduled for mid-March. She added that further consideration would be given to adjustments in tax rates and bands affecting the middle class.

According to the Prime Minister, the approach underscored a clear policy divide on fiscal management, with the Government favouring direct income support over broad-based tax cuts that may not reach those most in need. (BA)

Barbados Reggae Weekend moves to Kensington Oval for 2026 shows

Ashminnie Moonsammy
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Barbados Reggae Weekend moves to Kensington Oval for 2026 shows

Barbados Reggae Weekend is moving to Kensington Oval for its 2026 staging.


The announcement was made during the official launch of the 2026 Barbados Reggae Weekend at the Sandals Royal Barbados Ballroom in Maxwell, Christ Church on Wednesday.


Now in its third year, the event continues to grow as a major fixture on the island’s entertainment calendar.


Sponsorship Manager Michelle Straughn said the relocation marked a significant step forward for the festival.


“Barbados Reggae Weekend is here to stay. We are increasing and looking to raise the profile of Barbados by bringing more people from overseas and taking it to an international level,” she said.


The weekend will feature Legends of Reggae on April 24, Showdown on April 25 and Reggae in the Gardens on April 26. Artistes set to perform include Super Cat, Barrington Levy, Sister Nancy and Norris Man as well as Capleton, General Degree, Dexter Daps and Popcaan alongside a strong cast of local acts including Biggie Irie and DJ Puffy.


Straughn noted that the festival also played an important role in stimulating economic activity during what was traditionally a slower period for tourism.


“April has traditionally been a slow month in Barbados… so this is a way to bring people to the island at this time of year,” she said, adding that the impact extended beyond hotels to small businesses such as hairdressers, barbers and boutique operators.


Anthony Greene, General Manager of Starcom Network, said the festival’s willingness to adapt demonstrated an understanding of the changing entertainment landscape.


“Reinvention is no longer optional… those decisions reflect a festival that understands the urgency of staying relevant in a fast-changing environment,” Greene said, adding that Starcom remained committed as a key media partner in connecting the event with audiences across generations.

Over the past two years, Barbados Reggae Weekend has attracted between 20 000 and 25 000 patrons, including visitors from across the Caribbean, North America and beyond.

Minister condemns act of violence against senior

Haydn Gill
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Minister condemns act of violence against senior

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Adrian Forde has condemned the recent act of violence against a 72-year-old man, describing the incident as deeply troubling and a reminder of the need to safeguard Barbados’ elderly population.

Hal Prescod, 72, was reportedly accosted and beaten by a teenager in an incident that was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, sparking public outrage.

In a statement last night, Forde said that as minister with responsibility for the elderly, and as a representative of the people of Barbados, he was placing on record his “deep concern for the welfare, protection, and dignity of our nation’s older persons”.

“The recent incident of violence against a senior citizen has strengthened my resolve and that of this Government to ensure that our elderly are not only respected but safeguarded and empowered,” he said.

Forde said Barbados’ senior citizens were instrumental in shaping the country into the modern nation it is today.

“Our senior citizens built this country. They shaped post-Independence Barbados into the modern, 21st-century nation we proudly call home. Their labour, their sacrifice, and their resilience laid the very foundation upon which we now stand. They deserve not only our gratitude but our unwavering protection and support as they enjoy their well-earned golden years,” he added. (HG/PR)

Jailed for one year in cutlass robbery

Nationnews Desk
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Jailed for one year in cutlass robbery

On his first court appearance on a robbery charge Rico Antonio Leslie Greenidge admitted in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court No. 2 a month ago, that he robbed Antwan Wilson of two chains worth $450 on January 26.

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Hillary Clinton to appear before US House panel investigating Epstein

Nationnews Desk
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Hillary Clinton to appear before US House panel investigating Epstein

Hillary Clinton will on Thursday appear before a panel of the US House of Representatives that is investigating the crimes of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The former Democratic secretary of state and presidential candidate recently agreed, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to testify to the House Oversight Committee.

Both had previously resisted demands to appear, describing them as politically motivated. Their agreement to testify warded off potential contempt-of-Congress proceedings against them.

Hillary Clinton has said she does not recall meeting or speaking to Epstein. Her husband, who did know Epstein, has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of the other man’s crimes.

Bill Clinton has also said that he cut off ties with Epstein two decades ago, and has voiced regret that he was ever associated with the financier, who died in 2019.

He is expected to provide testimony of his own on Friday.

The couple’s announcement in recent weeks that they would provide testimony after all marked a reversal of their defiant position, and came as a potential contempt vote loomed in the House of Representatives.

Some Democratic members of the committee voted in favour of initiating contempt proceedings.

The Clintons have previously accused the panel’s Republican leader, James Comer, of “partisan politics” in his handling of the investigation. They described the legal summonses as “nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed”.

They insisted that they had already submitted sworn statements that covered the “limited information” they had on Epstein.

Nonetheless, they would appear, said a spokesperson for Bill Clinton, and “they look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone”.

For his part, Comer said the effort to secure a deposition from both of the Clintons was a bipartisan move to show that “no one is above the law”.

Bill Clinton appears in text and photos that have recently been released in stages by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in its disclosure of material that was uncovered during federal investigations into Epstein’s crimes.

The files more broadly reveal the extent of Epstein’s connections with multiple high-profile individuals, including after he was convicted of sex crimes.

As with others who appear in the files – including the current president Donald Trump, who previously had his own friendship with Epstein – appearing in the documents does not imply any wrongdoing.

The Clintons’ hearings will take place in Chappaqua, New York, near their home. Such depositions normally occur behind closed doors, though the Clintons reportedly fought for their own testimony to be public so that selective portions of their evidence could not be leaked to the media.

Both Democratic and Republican members of the committee are expected to address reporters after Hillary Clinton’s deposition, which is scheduled for 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT).

The highly anticipated appearance by Bill Clinton on Friday will represent the first time a former US president has testified to a congressional panel since Gerald Ford did so in 1983. (BBC)

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