CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
The Antigua and Barbuda government
says it will extradite the Indian-born
billionaire, Mehul Choksi, but only after
he has been able to have his matter dealt
with in the courts in the island.
India and Antigua do not have a
bilateral extradition
pact, but New Delhi has
been trying to bring
back the diamond
billionaire from Antigua
under a law of the island that allows
St. John’s to send back a fugitive to a
designated Commonwealth country.
Choksi, was granted citizenship of
Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and he
took the oath of allegiance on Jan. 15
last year. He was granted citizenship by
investment.
Two weeks later, on Jan. 29, the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India
filed a case and started an investigating
him and his nephew Nirav Modi.
Prime Minister, Gaston Browne,
speaking on his radio program recently
told listeners that when Choksi was
granted citizenship officials in India
reported that he had no criminal record
“and they did not report that he was
wanted for a financial crime so he got
through. But the reality is that his
citizenship will be revoked and he will
be repatriated to India so there is no
recourse.”
Browne said he wanted the legal process
to take its course adding that “criminals
have fundamental rights too.”
Bahamas
Bahamas has launched the first
National Disaster Preparedness Baseline
Assessment (NDPBA) — a year-long
program aimed at measuring disaster
preparedness.
The project is being
implemented through
the National Emergency
Management Agency
(NEMA) in partnership
which Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), a
University of Hawaii applied science and
research center.
This was revealed by Deputy Prime
Minister, Peter Turnquest described
the year-long NDPBA program as an
imperative step towards risk reduction
and true sustainability for The Bahamas.
He said the impact of Hurricanes
Joaquin, Matthew and Irma on The
Bahamas has been reported by the United
Nations Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to
cost approximately US$820 million.
Turnquest, who is also finance
minister, said such a cost to an economy
like The Bahamas is unsustainable.
“The Bahamas and PDC will work
together to address the unique disaster
risk and sustainability challenges of
small island states,” he said.
Antigua to extradite Indian billionaire
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Alphonso Browne addresses the United Nations General Assembly at U.N.
headquarters. Associated Press / Jason DeCrow
Barbados
Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley
says the title of “The Most Excellent” will
be the country’s highest honor.
Mottley who made the announcement
recently said the inclusion of the title is
for those who did not want to be tied to
the pre-independence period.
Presently — the title Knights of
Dame of St. Andrew are the highest
national honors a citizen of Barbados
can receive.
“We must claim our identity and
we must now establish an equivalents
award under the freedom of Barbados
so that Barbadians who do not want to
be known as Sir or Dame of St. Andrew
can still have the highest level award
in this country,” the
prime minister said at
the opening ceremony
of the Spring Garden
Highway.
Mottley said the title reaffirmed the
Barbadian identity.
“Those children who may not be
scientists or who may not be doctors or
lawyers or who may not be politicians
must forever know that they can attain
the highest heights in the country and
receive the greatest acclaim of the people
of this land by expressing to us that
which comes within,” she added.
Grenada
Grenada’s Assistant Police
Commissioner, Jessmon Prince
Caribbean L 4 ife, July 19–25, 2019 BQ
has dismissed reports of an influx of
Venezuelan refugees.
He told a press conference recently
that this is despite an announcement
from the United States that its Naval
Hospital Ship Comfort will be offering
services to the island during a fivemonth
humanitarian mission that will
take it to countries “overwhelmed” by
Venezuelan refugees.
Comfort began
its journey last
month and during
its deployment, the
ship will make stops
in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica
Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Panama,
St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and
Trinidad and Tobago.
It is scheduled to be in Grenada in
September.
“We do not have a situation of
any influx of Venezuelans, we have
people who come here normally like
on a vacation, spend their time and go
back. We have not had anybody coming
here under any refugee status from
Venezuela,” he said.
Data from the Grenada Tourism
Authority revealed that, in 2017 and
2018, more than 400 Venezuelans arrived
in the country.
Prince said that Venezuelans like
other nationals have had to be deported
for violation of immigration laws such
as overstaying without permission from
an immigration officer.
Jamaica
Jamaica and Cayman Islands are
moving to strengthen trade relations.
This was disclosed by Jamaica Prime
Minister, Andrew Holness while speaking
to members of the Jamaican diaspora
during a recent visit to the British
overseas territory.
During his visit the prime minister
held bilateral talks with the Premier of
the Cayman Islands, Alden McLaughlin
and government officials.
He said that it is important to improve
the economic and other ties with the
territory.
Holness said it is now time for Jamaica
to be reaching out and have its trade deals
with its neighbors adding that stronger
trade between both islands is now quite
possible and necessary.
He also gave the Jamaicans in the
Cayman Islands an update on talks he held
with the government of
Cayman.
The prime minister
said in the bilateral talks
there were discussions
on the issue of visa requirement, which
may not be necessary.
In that regard, Holness explained
the significant improvements in the
Jamaican economy over the past three
years particularly in the country’s
employment figures.
He encouraged Jamaicans living in
the Cayman to invest in Jamaica as
ti
THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
Continued on Page 8
/www.caribbeanlifenews.com