FRIDAY, AUGUST 19,
2022
VOLUME 116, No.33
Garifuna heritage Page 2
www.thevincentian.com
woman your own age Page 4
Browne’s Initiative Page 5
EC$1.50
Toneys Jubilee Page 11
That Cost of Living Page 28
Lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste has questioned the DPP’s decision to make a disclosure that could prejudice the Inquest into Cjea Weekes’ death.
DPP ACTED IRRESPONSIBLY, SAYS LAWYER point, in the case of 18-year-old Cjea Weekes, knowing that a Coroner’s Inquest will be held. Jomo Thomas, lawyer representing Weekes’ family, speaking on BOOM SVG 106.9FM OMG morning programmes last week Thursday, disclosed that the DPP in a letter to Weekes’ family and legal counsel said she was of the view that criminal liability “does not arise in Weekes’ death.” Police reported that Weekes died as a result of an accident on February 2, 2022 at Vermont, while his mother Natasha Weekes insisted her son told her before he died that he was run over by a police vehicle. Weekes succumbed to his injuries at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on February 6, 2022. A Coroner’s Inquest is expected to be held to determine the circumstances surrounding Sejilla McDowall, in her position of Director of Weekes’ death, and whether Public Prosecution (DPP) retains the final say in whether someone is to go to trial or not, even in the anyone is culpable. But Bacchus-Baptiste told case iof the finding;s of a Coroner’s Inquest. THE VINCENTIAN on Wednesday, “I don’t think that By HAYDN HUGGINS she (DPP) acted responsibly to make public her findings, knowing there is going to be a PROMINENT CRIMINAL LAWYER Kay Coroner’s Inquest. That will be prejudicial Bacchus-Baptiste has described as to the Inquest.” “irresponsible and prejudicial,” Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Sejilla McDowall’s decisions to make public her findings, at this Continue on page 3
Some teachers to be re-appointed THE TEACHERS WHO HAVE REAPPLIED for positions in the government service were expected to be appointed by the Public Service Commission on August 18. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who said that as of August 15, some 55 teachers who had initially been deemed as having ‘walked off the job’ for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with SR&O No 28 Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of 2021, had either now taken spoke to the issue of the COVID-19 the vaccine or have agreed to vaccine-related dismissed teachers the terms and conditions which with a sense of resolution. include regular COVID-19 who say that what the government testing. has done to say yes you can Speaking on radio on August return, but on the condition of 17, the prime minister again taking the test on a weekly basis, appealed to teachers to re-apply. there may come a time when the He said that the deadline for submission of re-applications was test will not be required based on the epidemiological situation that August 17 but he has requested exist,” Gonsalves said. that it be pushed back to August 22. Continue on page 3 “I say to the teachers, those