FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2026
VOLUME 120, No. 33
CPL meets objectives Page 2
www.thevincentian.com
Pharmacist freed Page 4
Lennox John, RIP Page 14
Scholarship time Pages 15&17
EC$1.50
Welcome home Rajah Page 28
DRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA REPORTED AT MCMH by KENVILLE HORNE
THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH has confirmed four cases of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), carrying the NDM resistance mechanism, at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH). The cases involve patients with wounds, according to Head of Laboratory Services Elliot Samuel, who said the drug-resistant bacterium can cause serious infections, particularly among hospitalized and critically ill patients.
The Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the state’s only ‘tertiary health care facility, is the focus of an investigation with respect to the presence of drugresistant bacteria. Inset: Elliot Samuel, Head of Laboratory Services, reiterated that the detection of the four cases does not mean that the generl public is at immediate risk. Continued on Page 3.
CCJ PRESIDENT UNDER FIRE LEAKED EMAILS, allegedly penned by sitting judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) have revealed a widening rift between the President of the CCJ, Justice Winston Andeson, and a majority of its sitting judges. Justice Winston Anderson, a Jamaican-born jurist, became the fourth President of the Caribbean Court of Justice in July 2025. He succeeded St. Vincent and the Grenadines-born Justice Adrian Saunders. His appointment was confirmed by CARICOM Heads of Government following a recommendation from the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission. At least five of the siting six Judges of the CCJ have raised alarm over judges have voiced concerns the actions of President Winston Anderson related to the functioning of (pictured), accusing him of “dictatorial” the CCJ, more particularly the leadership among other things.
manner in which the president is dispensing his responsibility. According to the Trinidad Sunday Express of Aug. 09, 2025, the Judges listed, among other concerns, unilateral imposition of a judicial dress code; claims of “panel fixing”; allegations of attempts to influence the outcome of cases; running the court in an “authoritarian” and “dictatorial” manner. Judges like Justice Arif Bulkan criticised management for its negative impacts, with Justice Peter Jamadar describing the work environment as toxic” and “dictatorial”. Both Justices, like Justice Chamntal Ononaiwu, called for consultation and an independent review. Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee warned about the absence of “proper process” and the threat to judicial
independence, and Justice Chile EboeOsuji comdemned the dictatorial style of the president. The issue of panel-fixing raised immediate and profound reaction, fuelled further by the allegation of the removal of a judge from a pending case (D’Almada v TT, Jamaica & Caricom). In reacting to this ,a Trinidad Express went as far as to say: “Removing a judge from a panel without proper cause creates an intolerable perception of outcome manipulation.” This practice, the Justices sounded loudly, was not a common practice if a practice at all, since assignment of judges to appeal panels follow objective, transparent, and predictable rules. Continued on Page 3.