FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2025
VOLUME 119, No.09
Vaccine mandate for PC Page 3
www.thevincentian.com
Charges withdrawn Page 4
Elections Observers Page 9
EC$1.50
German tourist drowns Page 19
New football measures Page 32
A.G NOT INVOLVED
IN PRISONER’S REMOVAL Chester King, the St. Lucian at the centre of the ‘controversy’, is perhaps having the last laugh.
Attorney General Grenville Williams denied any involvement on his part or his office’s in an immigration matter involving a St. Lucian. by HAYDN HUGGINS days after Senior Immigration Officer ATTORNEY GENERAL Veronica Harry told the (A.G) GRENVILLE Kingstown Magistrate’s WILLIAMS has made Court, that Chief it clear that he did Immigration Officer not instruct anyone Beverly Walker told her to withdraw that she (Walker) acted immigration charges on instructions from the against Chester Attorney General to King, a St. Lucian withdraw the national. immigration charges The AG spoke against the St. Lucian. with THE Harry, a Supervisor of VINCENTIAN on Compliance at the Wednesday, four Immigration Department, was Attorney Roderick Jones., representing St. Lucian testifying under oath in Chester King, expressed concern about the lack of an inquiry held in that proper procedure in having someone removed Court on Monday, to from the state.
determine who gave instructions for the St. Lucian to be removed from the state, despite an order by Senior Magistrate Tammika Mckenzie, who presides over that Court, for King to return to Court on Monday, February 24, for bail to be reviewed on those charges. Harry also told the Court that she checked the records of the Argyle International Airport (AIA) and Seaports, and found no record of King’s departure from SVG. The Attorney General told THE VINCENTIAN that the AG’s office had received a report on the matter, but he, as AG, did not, and cannot advise on the issue of withdrawal. He emphasised that the withdrawal of charges lies squarely within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Williams said that the AG’s Chambers is not involved in Criminal Immigration matters, and therefore, was not a party in this matter. He said that probably there might have been some misunderstanding. After six witnesses were called in the inquiry which was expected to continue on Tuesday, Prosecutor
Shamrock Pierre made an application to the Court on Tuesday, under Section 68 of the Criminal Procedure Code, for the charges to be withdrawn, based on instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
No answers Up to press time yesterday (Thursday), questions remained unanswered as to who gave the instructions to remove St. Lucian national Chester King from the state, as the inquiry held to make that determination was incomplete. King’s lawyer, Roderick Jones, has denounced King’s removal, describing it as a complete disregard for an order made by Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, on February 12. King, who was facing four immigration charges, was mysteriously removed from the state, in defiance of an order by Magistrate McKenzie for him to return to Court on Monday, February 24, for
bail review on the charges. “It is a concern that somebody could be removed from the state without following proper procedure, and nobody thought it prudent to inform Counsel about the decisions that were made about my client”, Jones told THE VINCENTIAN on Wednesday. Continued on Page 3.
Chief Immigration Officer Beverly Walker was alleged to have told the Chief Immigration Officer that the Attorney General had given instructions to withdraw the matter.