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Full repayment no guarantee of release, says judge

Heather-Lynn Evanson
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Full repayment no guarantee of release, says judge

Convicted attorney Hilary Jeffrey Nelson must make full restitution to the client from whom he stole more than $850 000 before the court even considers releasing him from prison.

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IMF weighs in on BiMPay

Shawn Cumberbatch
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IMF weighs in on BiMPay

BiMPay could bring economic benefits to Barbados, but its adoption could also present important risks and challenges.

That is the crux of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff assessment of the national instant payment system (IPS) prepared before it went live on June 12.

The payment rail, which since being implemented has faced some challenges resulting in the late payment of some salaries and pensions, was examined by IMF experts as part of the international financial institution’s latest Article IV consultation.

The analysis BiMPay: Potential Benefits And Costs Of Barbados’ New Instant Payment System said that the experience of other countries “suggests that BiMPay has the potential to reduce transaction costs and increase efficiency; improve financial social inclusion and reduce informality; and spur financial development and institutional and regulatory reform”.

It added, however, that “the transition can also present challenges to adoption, regulation and supervision, privacy, and governance”.

The assessment, which was published in the 2026 Barbados Article IV report, noted that “the authorities are monitoring technical, financial and cybersecurity risks as the new system is rolled out”.

Aims of system

“BiMPay aims to foster more efficient, interoperable, and consumer-friendly payments, generating positive spillovers for the economy,” the IMF team noted.

“The objective of BiMPay is to increase the speed and convenience of domestic payments, with a view to fostering financial inclusion, helping business operations, for example, cash flow management, record keeping, payroll management, invoicing, encouraging financial technology innovations, and facilitating Government payments to citizens, reducing informal employment.

“It also aims to strengthen the [Central Bank’s] regulatory authority over payment systems, clearing, and settlement services, and to boost economic activity.”

The report observed that “while digital payments have grown in Barbados, surpassing traditional payment methods in 2019, the use of cash remains prevalent and is still the only option for many small businesses, referencing information from the Central Bank”. “While mandatory participation by core financial institutions aims to ensure sufficient BiMPay coverage from its launch, increasing financial inclusion will be key for operators without a bank or credit union account,” it added.

The IMF staff said that based on the experience of 120 countries which had introduced IPSs, BiMPay could bring economic benefits.

“They enable instant transmission of payment messages and immediate availability of funds 24 hours a day, seven days a week, facilitating payments for households and firms,” the IMF staff said.

“Research suggests that IPSs can raise household incomes, small business activity, and credit supply. IPSs also generate data that allow users to access financial services like credit provision.

“As a lower cost payment option, they can raise savings in financial institutions and foster competition and interoperability, which is relevant to Barbados, given low penetration of payment cards and financial inclusion.”

The IMF report said nevertheless that “the adoption of BiMPay could also present important risks and challenges”.

The report elaborated on this, stating: “The introduction of an IPS raises questions about the supervision of real-time activity; liquidity assurances for participants; consistency of capital regulations; testing of crisis management arrangements; and mitigation of anti-money laundering/combatting the financing of terrorism.

“IPS adoption can also be constrained by uneven mobile and Internet penetration; uncertain takeup by the public, given that existing payments are convenient and have the advantage of anonymity; difficulties in reaching individuals without stable employment and access to a bank or credit union account; and low financial and digital literacy, especially for less educated users.”

Early evidence

The report also pointed to early evidence which indicated that “the success and drivers of IPS adoption can vary across countries”.

“Technical characteristics play a key role, notably temporary offline functionality requiring central bank capabilities, strong supervision and monitoring, and simplicity of use,” the IMF staff said.

“Importantly, the Central Bank needs to clearly establish its role in regulating and overseeing the IPS on a sound legal basis, while carefully designed state intervention in the IPS can support competition and innovation, address coordination issues, and ensure the security and accessibility of the system.

“For example, in Brazil, important factors in the successful adoption of Pix, an IPS owned, operated, and maintained by the central bank, included mandatory participation of larger payment providers, active stakeholder engagement, a user-centric approach, low fees, and emphasis on security.” (SC)

Burnham set to be next PM as 322 Labour MPs back him in first nomination tally

Nationnews Desk
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Burnham set to be next PM as 322 Labour MPs back him in first nomination tally

Andy Burnham has taken another step towards becoming the next Labour leader and prime minister, after the vast majority of Labour MPs nominated him to replace Sir Keir Starmer.

Burnham’s Labour leadership bid has been backed by 322 out of 403 Labour MPs as he remains the only declared candidate

It makes him just one short of the 323 needed before it is mathematically impossible for a rival to run against him. Some MPs say they were not able to vote on Thursday but will back Burnham once they are back in Parliament.

If no one else enters the contest, as expected, Burnham will be declared Labour leader next week before taking office as prime minister on 20 July.

It would mark an extraordinary rise to power following the former Greater Manchester mayor’s by-election win in Makerfield just weeks ago.

In a statement, Burnham said he was “deeply grateful” to the Labour MPs who had nominated him to be leader of the party.

He said the support had come from across the party and reflected a “shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics”.

“That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode,” Burnham said.

Later on Thursday, he joked about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s decision to trigger a by-election in his own constituency, Clacton, where he will stand again. Labour and the other main parties are boycotting the vote but serial comedian candidate Count Binface is a candidate.

Speaking at the Silver Clef music awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he was delivering the Legend Award to Manchester indie band James, Burnham said: “The legends that we’re here to honour have not shied away from politics in their career, but I promise you, I am not going to talk politics to you tonight…

“Except to say this, ‘Count Binface, you are carrying the hopes of the nation. Don’t let us down.'”

Burnham’s own by-election victory and heavy Labour losses in May’s local elections left Sir Keir facing calls from his own MPs for him to stand aside and allow Burnham to replace him.

Sir Keir quit as Labour leader on the same day Burnham was sworn in as an MP, saying in his resignation speech he had heard the answer to the question of whether “I am best placed to lead us into the next general election”.

Candidates have until Wednesday next week to gather the required backing of 81 Labour MPs in order to take part in the leadership race.

As well as 323 nominations – which is when no one else can reach the 81-MP threshold needed to run against him – Burnham would also need to garner nominations next week from at least three of the 31 socialist societies and trade unions affiliated to the party, although this is expected to be a formality for him.

Burnham would then become Labour leader and be propelled into Downing Street without the need for a vote over the summer among party members and affiliated trade union supporters.

A few dozen MPs had already posted on social media to confirm they were nominating the former mayor.

This included Burnham himself, who joked that it would be “hopefully third time lucky” for him, referring to his two previous failed bids for the leadership in 2010 and 2015. (BBC News)

QEH to dispose of unclaimed bodies

Sherrylyn Clarke
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QEH to dispose of unclaimed bodies

Backed by recent legislative changes, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is preparing to dispose of 65 bodies left unclaimed in the morgue, some for as long as five years.

Management at the hospital said the Health Services (Disposal of Abandoned Bodies) Regulations, 2026, provided a clear, legal process to manage deceased patients.

“Until these Regulations came into force, the hospital did not have the legal authority to dispose of unclaimed bodies, regardless of how long they remained in the mortuary. The QEH was therefore required by law to retain these bodies while making every reasonable effort to identify and contact the next of kin or other persons entitled to claim them,” a media release said.

The process also protects the rights of family members.

“Following the death of a patient, the hospital’s death clerk will make every reasonable effort to contact the next of kin using the contact information available. Where relatives cannot be reached, the relevant police station will be notified to assist in locating family members,” the statement explained.

“Under the Regulations, families are required to collect the body within four (4) days of notification or, where a coroner’s or hospital post-mortem is required, within four days of the body being formally released. Families experiencing difficulty making arrangements are encouraged to contact the hospital as soon as possible so that assistance can be provided.

“Where no next of kin can be identified or located, public notices will be published as required by the Regulations before any further action is taken. However, if a body remains unclaimed after all legal requirements have been met, the hospital will follow the process as written in the legislation, and then arrange for a respectful burial, cremation or other lawful disposition”.

Management at the QEH did not respond to queries from the Weekend Nation about the daily costs of storage or disposal should they remain unclaimed.

In July 2024, then Minister of Health and Wellness Dr The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, said it was costing more than $70 000 monthly to store the bodies and sums of $45 000 and $36 000 were being paid to two funeral homes because the morgue could only hold 35 bodies. At that time, there were 68 bodies, comprising 56 men and 12 women.

Yesterday, president of the Barbados Association of Funeral Directors Ian Griffith, said cremation was around $3 000 and burial costs would be similar to those previously offered by the Welfare Department, “a very inexpensive burial”.

Brutal murder

The list of 65 bodies, published in yesterday’s Daily Nation, comprised mainly men, with only eight women named. Among them, Ronald Bryan was in the morgue for the longest period, dating back to February 2021.

One name which stands out is that of Leston Leroy “Toffee” Harewood, whose death date is listed as October 4, 2022. In October 1991, he was convicted of the brutal murder of Arlene Watts at Balls Plantation, Christ Church – sometime between June 4 and 5, 1986 – and sentenced to hang. Five years later, his time was commuted to life behind bars.

Also of note is Albert John who died on November 10, 2024. His cause of death, as determined by an autopsy, was natural causes. This was disputed by relatives and friends who held a vigil for him 14 days after his death at King Street, The City. The autopsy revealed an enlarged scrotum and penis, sepsis and gangrene, as well as decaying organs.

Activist/paralegal Winston Clarke who was among those at the vigil, said yesterday he remained unconvinced of the cause of death, and still had audio from people who witnessed John being beaten. At the time, he said when he spoke with John’s son Shawn who resides in Austria, he indicated he would be seeking legal advice.

“I told him I would have sought an independent coroner to deal with the situation because I wanted another opinion . . . but he said the attorney would deal with it and I backed out,” Clarke said, adding he later spoke with the attorney, who referred to the autopsy.

“I did not hear from him [the son] anymore and I thought that they were ensuring he [John] would have been buried and certain things would have been carried out, only to find out through my sources that it was not so. There is nothing I can do, the family had taken it out of my hands.”

Clarke said he would have taken up a collection and rallied the groups he knew to assist the family here with the burial. He also would have pushed for an independent coroner from the Commonwealth.

Meanwhile, management at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital said they remained “committed to treating every deceased patient with dignity, compassion and respect, while ensuring that every reasonable opportunity is provided for families to claim their loved ones”. ( SAT)

Green cars taking over

Diara Springer
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Green cars taking over

Electric and hybrid vehicles now make up about 70 per cent of all new vehicle sales in Barbados.

Industry leaders say the rapid transformation has been fuelled by generous Government tax incentives, lower operating costs and a growing range of affordable models.

However, they are also warning that Barbados must begin planning now for the environmental challenges that accompany the electric vehicle (EV) revolution.

In 2023, internal combustion engine vehicles accounted for 75 per cent of new car sales, while fully electric vehicles represented just three per cent. Today, pure EVs make up 19 per cent of new sales, with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids accounting for the balance of the green vehicle market.

Chief executive officer of Caribbean Automotive Retailers, Brent Murphy, credited Government’s fiscal policies for accelerating the transition.

“The incentives are very good for Barbados. I think Barbados is probably one of the best adopters of EVs in the region,” he said.

Murphy explained that buyers currently pay about ten per cent excise tax and ten per cent import duty on electric vehicles, compared with about 40 per cent excise tax and 45 per cent import duty on conventional petrolpowered vehicles.

“Those incentives have made a huge difference to Barbados adopting EVs,” he said.

At Courtesy Garage Limited, general manager Andrez Greene said electric vehicles now account for roughly one-third of the company’s sales.

“We expect this to increase in the coming months, as we are set to launch a major new plug-in hybrid range in the market,” he said.

General manager of Platinum Motors, Mark Hamilton, said affordability has broadened the appeal of electric vehicles.

In the early days, EVs were largely limited to premium brands but manufacturers such as BYD and MG are now offering vehicles in the $65 000 to $100 000 price range.

“You’re going to see an expanding offering in the future which will allow the more regular consumer to opt to buy an electric vehicle,” Hamilton said.

“I don’t think this is a fad or a short-term situation. I think it’s something that we will see continue to grow.”

Beyond lower purchase taxes, dealers say motorists are also attracted by the significant reduction in fuel costs.

“The savings on fuel is about 75 per cent compared to a regular internal combustion engine,” Murphy said, noting that owners who install home chargers, particularly those powered by solar energy, could reduce operating costs even further.

Greene added that improvements in battery technology, warranties of eight years or more and growing consumer awareness have eased concerns over battery life and driving range.

“The majority of our customers come in already having done significant research on the product and are comfortable making the purchase,” he said.

“Availability of portable chargers also means that there is greater opportunity for people who may be renting homes or apartments to own EVs, without having to look for a public charging station,” he also noted.

While dealers believe Barbados’ relatively short travel distances and widespread home charging reduce pressure on public charging infrastructure, Hamilton warned that one major issue cannot be ignored.

As electric vehicle numbers continue to rise, he believes Barbados will eventually have to address the disposal of spent lithium-ion batteries, which can pose environmental hazards and fire risks if not properly managed.

“Those two specific items are things that need to be addressed,” Hamilton said, referring to battery disposal and associated environmental concerns. (DDS)

Mbappe strikes again after missing penalty as France outclass Morocco to reach semi-finals

Nationnews Desk
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Mbappe strikes again after missing penalty as France outclass Morocco to reach semi-finals

France captain Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty but curled in a superb goal ‌on the hour as France struck twice in six minutes to brush aside Morocco 2-0 on Thursday and book their spot in the World Cup semi-finals.

Mbappe, who at 27 became the youngest player to rack up 20 World Cup appearances, also bagged his 20th World Cup goal with a curling shot from just inside the box before Ousmane Dembele ​added another six minutes later with a low drive to set up a last-four meeting with Belgium or Spain.

Mbappe is the tournament’s joint ​top scorer with eight goals, level with Lionel Messi, and he trails the Argentine by one goal in the World ⁠Cup all-time scoring list.

“That’s three (semi-finals) in a row — it’s good,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “It seems logical and natural, but you still have to get ​the job done. It was tricky, the penalty… when it’s Kylian. He never has any doubts.

“But we’re exactly where we wanted to be,” said Deschamps, who ​substituted Mbappe late in the game after a knock to his ankle. “We’re taking another step forward today, finding ourselves in the final four once again. It shows we’re right there in the mix.”

In a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, France, who have now kept clean sheets in all three knockout matches, looked the hungrier throughout with Morocco, aiming ​for a second straight last-four spot, badly missing injured forward Ismael Saibari, and failing to get a shot on target until the 84th minute.

“We are ​very disappointed, we wanted to advance,” said Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi. ” We have to recognise that France is a great team with excellent players. France had the better scoring opportunities. We lacked ideas ‌and freshness, ⁠and we have to accept this defeat.

“Today France were stronger but we are able to compete and progress and maybe eliminate them in four years’ time,” Ouahbi said. Morocco are co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

The French, bidding to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, started strongly with a couple of early chances.

Mbappe, who also equalled the all-time French record held by Hugo Lloris for World ​Cup matches, had an early opportunity with ​a low drive that Morocco ⁠keeper Yassine Bounou managed to tip wide.

France earned a 28th-minute penalty through Mbappe but Bounou calmly stood his ground, picked the correct side and smothered the France forward’s low effort. It was Mbappe’s first penalty miss for the national ​team since Euro 2020.

The title favourites also hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time through Lucas Digne’s powerful long-distance ​drive, as defensive-minded ⁠Morocco struggled to reach their opponents’ box and did not have an effort on or off target in the entire first half, with Brahim Diaz as the lone striker.

Mbappe made amends for his miss on the hour mark with a quick look up and superb finish, and before Morocco had time to recover the twice ⁠world champions ​struck again through Dembele.

The forward, who forms a formidable frontline with Mbappe and Michael Olise, made ​use of the space opened up by Mbappe’s run to rifle in the second goal and his fifth of the tournament.

“A mission? I don’t know but we can’t afford to let up,” ​Mbappe said. “There’s still a long way to go, and what lies ahead is even tougher, but we’ll recover well.” (Reuters)

CDEMA signs partnership agreement with CARPHA

Nationnews Desk
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CDEMA signs partnership agreement with CARPHA

The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has renewed a partnership with the Trinidad-based  Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to strengthen regional cooperation in disaster management and public health resilience across the Caribbean.

The two regional organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of the recently concluded Caribbean Community (CARICOM)  summit here.

“The Caribbean’s risk landscape is changing rapidly. Climate change, increasingly intense weather events, public health emergencies, and other emerging threats demand that we move beyond traditional approaches and strengthen collaboration across sectors,” said CDEMA’s  executive director , Elizabeth Riley.

“This MOU between CDEMA and CARPHA reflects our shared recognition that resilience can only be achieved through integrated action and strong regional partnerships,”  she added.

CARPHA’s executive director, Dr. Lisa Indar, spoke of the importance of integrating public health and disaster management.

“Health and disaster management are inseparable. This MOU brings together CARPHA’s public health expertise and CDEMA’s disaster coordination leadership to strengthen regional preparedness, build more resilient health systems, and better protect the people of the Caribbean from increasingly complex threats,”  she said.

CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General Alison Drayton said the collaboration between CARPHA and CDEMA represents a practical expression of the Community’s commitment to building resilience through cooperation.

“By combining CARPHA’s technical leadership in health security with CDEMA’s expertise in disaster mitigation and emergency management, we are strengthening the regional architecture that protects Caribbean people before, during, and after crises.”

In a statement, CDEMA said that the MOU will strengthen the already established relationship, enhance cooperation between the two institution, and provide better coordinated action to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and public health emergencies across the Caribbean.

For many years, CARPHA and CDEMA have worked together to support the CARICOM region in responding to hurricanes, disease outbreaks, and other emergencies. Through CDEMA’s Regional Response Mechanism (RRM), CARPHA has provided technical public health expertise during regional emergencies, supporting member states with disease surveillance, laboratory services, health assessments, risk communication, environmental health interventions, and emergency response planning.

Recent examples of this collaboration include the regional responses to Hurricane Melissa in 2025 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

Following the devastating impacts of these events across several Caribbean countries, CARPHA supported the health response as part of the CDEMA-led RRM by deploying technical experts to participate in rapid needs assessments, evaluate shelters and health facilities, strengthen disease surveillance, and provide guidance to national health authorities.

The statement said that under the agreement, the two agencies will strengthen coordination during regional emergencies, combining CDEMA’s leadership in disaster management with CARPHA’s technical expertise in public health.

“The partnership also promotes the protection of affected populations, the integration of health into regional disaster planning and response, the application of shared standards and best practices, and joint capacity-building initiatives through training, simulation exercises, technical exchanges, and knowledge sharing to enhance the region’s resilience.

“The partnership will also strengthen joint planning, capacity building, resource mobilisation, and operational coordination, enabling the Caribbean to better anticipate and respond to emerging threats while enhancing regional health security and disaster resilience,”  the statement added. (CMC)

Illegal dumpers urged to clean up their act

Carlos Atwell
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Illegal dumpers urged to clean up their act

Illegal dumping continues to plague communities across Barbados, with environmental officials warning that offenders are discarding everything from household appliances and mattresses to animal carcasses, despite the risk of prosecution and fines.

Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer Euroline Welch-Drakes said illegal dumping remains one of the biggest environmental challenges facing her department, with hotspots emerging across the island, particularly in St Thomas and St Philip.

“Yes, we do have problems with illegal dumping,” Welch-Drakes said. “And yes, if we do see or find anybody that we can prove was the person who did the dumping, we can do one or two things: we can ask them to remove it and take it to the official site, which is the Mangrove Pond landfill, or we can take them to court.”

She said offenders could also be prosecuted under the Health Services (Collection and Disposal of Refuse) Regulations or issued a $300 penalty under the Nuisances Regulations.

Despite those enforcement measures, Welch-Drakes acknowledged that illegal dumping continues unabated.

“People dump beds. We see a lot of stoves and those types of things. I’ve seen people dumping entrails, offal, dead animals. ”

She recalled the discovery of a massive illegal dumping site at Chancery Lane, Christ Church, which was so extensive that it attracted national attention.

Welch-Drakes said while enforcement remains available, her department’s priority is preventing conditions that threaten public health.

“We’re more about remediation than enforcement,” she said. “We want to prevent dumping and stop conditions from getting to a level where disease transmission can happen.”

But she admitted that the work often feels neverending.

“Even though you may get the landowner to clean up or you get assistance from the Sanitation Service Authority to clean for us, sometimes you go back, and those areas are full again of refuse,” she said. She also warned that many people unknowingly commit offences by disposing of garden waste on vacant lots. “People do not necessarily think that placing bush that they cut down on another lot, they don’t think of that as illegal dumping; but that also qualifies,” she said. Director and Trailway Lead at the Future Centre Trust, Barney Gibbs, said while litter on beaches often grabs public attention, the worst dumping is taking place inland. “The pattern we see is inland,” Gibbs said. “The beaches get the attention, but the volume of refuse is terrible at the quiet inland sites – gullies and back roads – where people think no one is watching.” “A gully is not a garbage bin; when people dump there, they are poisoning their own tap water and ours.”

He said volunteers routinely encounter everything from discarded juice boxes to refrigerators during clean-up exercises, but described dumped tyres as among the greatest threats.

“Nobody carries a fridge into a gully by accident,” Gibbs said. “This is deliberate, and it is ‘wutless’. Every tyre in the gully is a mosquito nursery. In a dengue and Zika region, this is an extreme health risk as well as plain ugly.”

Gibbs said it was unfair that community volunteers were repeatedly forced to clean up after a small number of offenders.

“During our big annual cleanup, it takes hndreds of people to clean up after a handful of incorrigible litterbugs,” he said. “Our volunteers’ goodwill should not be the national waste plan.”

While the Future Centre Trust is encouraging communities to organise smaller, more frequent clean-up exercises, Gibbs believes stronger enforcement is needed.

“The threats have been made, the cameras have been promised; now show us the convictions,” he said.

Founder of Keep Barbados Clean, Peter Bynoe, painted an equally bleak picture, saying years of volunteer clean-up efforts have done little to change public behaviour.

“We were cleaning up illegal dumping sites up to today,” Bynoe said. “People dumping household stuff off the side of the road and up in cart roads. No, it’s not getting any better.”

He said his latest clean-up uncovered discarded car seats, old televisions, clothing and toiletries.

Bynoe argued that penalties for illegal dumping are too lenient and called for authorities to impose harsher sanctions on offenders.

He believes offenders should face substantial fines in addition to having their vehicles seized.

“Fine them heavily, impound their vehicle, maybe not forever, but impound it for a month or something,” Bynoe said. “Make them feel.” (CA)

Advocates at odds with prison

Maria Bradshaw
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Advocates at odds with prison

Two men who were the subject of an advertisement by the Barbados Bar Association regarding their nonattorney status say they have been “banned” from Dodds Prisons and branded “undesirables.”

Colin Roach and Winston Clarke, who have been assisting inmates who cannot afford legal counsel, told the Weekend Nation that they were informed of a memo written by Superintendent of Prisons DeCarlo Payne indicating that as of June 23, they would not be allowed on the Barbados Prison Service property to visit or conduct any business.

The directive, shown to this newspaper, dated June 23, states: “The superintendent of prisons has deemed him [Roach] as an undesirable according to Prisons Rules Cap.168 rs63 (5) which states: ‘The officer in charge may refuse admission to the prison of any person who in his opinion is undesirable.’

Legal action

However, Roach, who has already filed legal action against the superintendent over the ban, is defiant. He questioned the timing of the eviction, which comes hot on the heels of his successful assistance to inmate Corey Lynch.

Acting as a McKenzie Friend, Roach helped Lynch file a constitutional motion against Payne and the Attorney General for failing to provide adequate medical and social care while incarcerated.

The matter was decided on March 29 by Justice Patrick Wells, who found that the State violated Lynch’s right not to be subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment and awarded him $20 000 in damages at four per cent per annum.

Roach told this newspaper that on June 9, he went to the Dodds, St Philip institution to serve a writ of habeas corpus on the superintendent regarding an inmate whose appeal matters had not been adjudicated.

Advised

Roach said an officer informed him that the superintendent had been advised not to sign the application.

“I insisted that the superintendent must sign because he had the body,” Roach said. He said he was ordered off the premises by senior personnel.

Two days later, on June 11, Roach said police officers visited him and handed him a written note which stated: “The superintendent ask you to cease and desist from coming to the Prisons.”

In a sworn affidavit sent to both the Minister of Home Affairs and the Solicitor General, Roach fired back: “I was following Section 57.4 of the Supreme Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2008 and Mr DeCarlo Payne as superintendent of Dodds Prisons, violated my right to be in a public space where I was conducting business. I have been prevented from visiting inmates, who gave me power of attorney to act on their behalf.”

Clarke, a paralegal who is already locked in a separate legal battle with the Barbados Bar Association after they published his name in a newspaper advertisement warning the public that he was not an attorney, signalled that he is fully prepared to take the superintendent of prisons to court as well.

While he said he was not officially informed of the “ban”, he was aware of a memo at the prison indicating that he was no longer welcomed there.

“If somebody – don’t matter who it is – does something that I believe is counterproductive to those under their care, whether it be the Prime Minister, whether it be the superintendent . . . . I will speak about it as long as what I am saying is true and I have the documentation or truth to substantiate what I am saying,” Clarke said.

He believes his legal success with prisoners might be behind his ouster.

“One of the reasons that I have been banned and as he say undesirable from the prison, is because of my assistance to inmates. . . who are representing themselves,” Clarke said.

“I can say that there are about 23 matters that I have done consecutively where I have been successful for the inmates and for some reason this administration does not like to see people being set free. If we continue to speak out, these people would not be able to get away with these things.”

The Weekend Nation reached out to Superintendent Payne by telephone and email but up to press time there was no response to queries concerning the ban.

Minister of Home Affairs and Information Gregory Nicholls declined to comment on the situation.

He would only state: “The issue was one for the management of the prison to respond to directly as it is not a matter brought to me for action”.

He further explained that his hands were tied by the very legislation governing the facility.

“My remit in respect of the Prisons is set out in the Prisons Act and it doesn’t permit me to get involved with operational matters.”

However, he added: “I am not aware that the alleged banning of people has risen to the level of policy intervention but I will assure you that if this reaches me, I will faithfully discharge my duties fairly and impartially according to the law.” (MB)

Moves to cap cost of living

Sherrylyn Clarke
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Moves to cap cost of living

Individual CARICOM nations have put measures in place to fight the rising cost of living in their respective countries, but say they are powerless over the cost of fossil fuels which drive all aspects of the economy.

That was one of the key points emerging from discussions held at the 51st Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government which ended in Castries, St Lucia, yesterday.

However, Prime Minister of St Kitts & Nevis Dr Terrance Drew said while there was no energy crisis in the region, there was an energy-harnessing issue.

“On the issue of the cost of living, it seems like the Caribbean is just on this wave, up and down, up and down. There’s a war, we’re down, up, down; a hurricane, we’re up, down. We suffer these shocks mainly because a lot of what we consume, we import,” he said during a media conference at the close of the meeting.

“We have wind, we have solar, we have geothermal, and we have wave, and we have started to invest heavily in these. There’s nothing that can really stabilise our economy or transform our economy or deal with this constant up and down, like stabilising our energy sources and our energy situation.”

Petroleum products

Drew said that at a meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, a chart showed billions were being spent on petroleum products.

“Cutting into that with renewable energy can really help from our perspective to transform the Caribbean, to transform the region and help us to get on a sustainable path of really managing the cost of living of all of our people here in the region. So that is one of our proposals that we are putting forward.”

He said St Kitts had also put to tender a plan to build a 50-megawatt facility and they would share via under-sea cable with other countries around, like Antigua and Barbuda, to help reduce the cost of energy.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said CARICOM was about to enter discussions with Trinidad and Tobago about the use of one of its ferries that can ply the Southern Caribbean as a “proof of concept” on how inter-island trade can lower the cost of living. Trinidad has long used ferries for trade and travel with its sister island Tobago.

Mutual recognition

“I’ve undertaken the responsibility of working with colleagues to be able to get the treaty arrangements for mutual recognition of licences, insurance, so that vehicles, cargo vehicles can literally go on and come off where possible. This is a work in progress,” Mottley said.

She added that said while it would be a first in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, it would also reveal the infrastructural arrangements that needed to be put in place at the various ports.

“So I give you the assurance that we are singularly focused on being able to reduce the cost of intra-island cargo which, in addition to the other measures that we have taken to increase disposable income of our citizens, but also to reduce the cost of freight, the cost of gas and the cost of electricity, all of which, when combined, can be completely inflationary, is what we’re doing together.”

Mottley said the region was also looking at the application of the Common External Tariff. It was put in place to protect regional production, but remained on some items even as production ended over the decades. Some countries have asked for different arrangements so it can be removed, and thereby lower the cost of goods.

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar also outlined three key medical services available in her country which she said could be accessed at a fraction of the cost elsewhere. These include a National Prosthetic Centre – set up with assistance from the government of India.

She said prices in the United States ranged from US$3 000 to US$120 000, depending on “the mobility of what you want that artificial limb to do”.

Persad-Bissessar said the twinisland republic also had many medical graduates in various fields, adding they have shared with CARICOM members and are willing to work with them to provide fully trained doctors, mostly trained at the University of the West Indies.

The third service is a children’s hospital, which she said had affordable prices, and these ventures would also help them earn foreign exchange. (SAT) 

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