Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Insight into government decision to terminate agreements with GPG

    Insight into government decision to terminate agreements with GPG

    In a landmark address to a joint sitting of Grenada’s Parliament on Tuesday, the chairman of the island nation’s Hydrocarbons Technical Working Group (HTWG) Nazim Burke confirmed that the Dickon Mitchell administration was fully justified in terminating multiple energy exploration agreements with Russian-backed firm Global Petroleum Group (GPG) earlier this year, citing years of unmet contractual obligations and procedural non-compliance. Burke, a former Grenadian prime minister and finance minister, outlined the step-by-step process that led to the July 31 cancellation of GPG’s Development Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Block Reservation Agreement and development license for four offshore exploration blocks, emphasizing the government went to extraordinary lengths to grant the company due process before taking final action.

    Burke detailed the timeline of the termination process: in early June 2026, the government notified GPG of its intent to end the agreements, prompting the firm to issue a response denying any breach of contract on June 2. The government responded on June 10 by inviting GPG representatives to a June 17 hearing to present their case, and requested all supporting documentation to be submitted to the Attorney General by June 15. While GPG confirmed via email on June 12 that it would submit the required materials by the deadline, Burke told lawmakers no documents were ever received, and the scheduled hearing proceeded without any evidence from the company to back up its claims.

    Following the hearing, Burke said the government conducted a full review of GPG’s position as required under the Grenada Petroleum and Natural Gas Deposits Act, but found the company failed to provide evidence to support most of its core claims. Critically, GPG did not take any steps to remedy the breaches outlined in the initial termination notice, nor did it offer adequate compensation for missed obligations or provide assurances that future contract violations would not occur. On July 27, the government formally issued the termination notice, with the cancellation taking effect on July 31, and the decision was published in the official government gazette three days later to meet statutory requirements.

    Burke stressed that the Mitchell administration treated GPG with transparency and fairness, choosing termination only as a last resort after years of unmet performance targets. “The government considers that termination of the agreement with GPG was a prudent and appropriate course of action,” Burke said, noting that the PSA explicitly allows GPG to pursue international arbitration through the International Chamber of Commerce if it disputes the decision. He confirmed the government is fully prepared to defend its position if arbitration is initiated, and has frozen all activity on the four blocks pending resolution – meaning no new operators will be invited to submit proposals, nor will GPG be allowed to continue any work on the site. Burke added that the government has worked closely with international legal advisors to review the case, and is committed to protecting Grenada’s national energy interests against any potential claims from GPG.

    The presentation of the HTWG report was not without controversy, however. Before Burke delivered his 35-minute address, Democratic People’s Movement leader Peter David raised objections to allowing an external body to address the full legislature, questioning the procedural legitimacy of the arrangement. Speaker of the House Leo Cato defended the decision, noting that parliamentary standing orders do not explicitly ban the practice, and government consultation determined that the highly technical nature of the energy review made presentation by expert officials the most appropriate path.

    The main opposition New National Party (NNP) went a step further, announcing a boycott of the joint sitting ahead of time over the procedural arrangement. Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre told reporters that while the NNP supports parliamentary updates on oil and gas exploration, the party objected to what it views as a departure from standard parliamentary protocol that undermines the legislature’s authority. “This matter must not be handled through a process that misuses Parliament and departs from proper parliamentary procedures and practises,” Pierre said.

    Beyond the GPG termination, the HTWG – led by internationally recognized petroleum expert Dr. Gibert Yevi, with technical specialists drawn from Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Scotland, Australia and Spain – presented a broader update on its mandate to assess Grenada’s offshore hydrocarbon potential. If viable commercial reserves are identified, the working group will develop a full strategy to explore, develop and monetize reserves for national economic benefit, alongside a stakeholder engagement plan to involve local communities, civil society and the private sector, and a framework to attract credible international investment.

    Burke noted that the oil and gas sector requires massive upfront capital investment and highly specialized technical expertise, meaning Grenada must only partner with firms that meet strict standards of credibility, financial stability and technical proficiency. The HTWG’s mandate requires it to evaluate all existing and prospective operators against these same standards, including GPG, which has held exploration rights in Grenada since the mid-2000s. Burke traced the history of GPG’s presence in Grenada back to 2008, when the company was granted exploration licenses for 11 offshore blocks, followed by a 2013 development license and production sharing agreement for four of those blocks. Critically, Burke explained, GPG never completed exploratory drilling or made a commercial discovery – a required prerequisite for developing a viable production plan, something that never materialized during the firm’s 13 years holding the development license. “In this particular instance, this did not occur with GPG,” Burke said.

    Burke added that the HTWG’s review of GPG’s contract also looked at historical disputes involving Grenada’s offshore energy sector, dating back to 2003 arbitration proceedings against another operator, RSM Production Corporation’s Jack Reinburg. The working group’s review confirmed that GPG’s longstanding failure to meet contractual milestones left the government with no other viable option than termination, he said.

  • PM disappointed at opposition boycott of joint sitting of Parliament

    PM disappointed at opposition boycott of joint sitting of Parliament

    A major political dispute has unfolded in Grenada this week after opposition lawmakers boycotted a landmark joint parliamentary session called to receive a long-awaited report from the Hydrocarbons Technical Working Group (HTWG), drawing sharp disappointment from Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.

    Mitchell, who leads the current administration, addressed the sitting Tuesday and voiced deep regret over the opposition’s decision to skip the key briefing focused on the country’s oil and gas exploration efforts. “It is extremely disappointing and sad that members have chosen to boycott such an important session designed to share clear, first-hand information about the work we have completed,” the prime minister told assembled legislators.

    The boycott was announced one day earlier by Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre, head of the main opposition New National Party (NNP). Pierre told reporters that her caucus had significant procedural concerns about how the special joint sitting was organized, and members would not attend under the existing framework. The NNP leader clarified that the party does not oppose the government updating parliament on the progress of oil and gas exploration, but argued the current process deviates from long-standing parliamentary rules and norms.

    At the core of the opposition’s objection is the government’s decision to have the HTWG present its findings directly to the full joint sitting, rather than first formally laying the report before the House of Representatives per standard procedure. Former foreign affairs minister Peter David, the only opposition lawmaker who attended Tuesday’s session, doubled down on this criticism, noting that the HTWG is neither a joint select committee of parliament nor an officially appointed parliamentary body. “It is therefore irregular to invite such a committee to address the House of Representatives,” David stated.

    However, Speaker of the House Leo Cato defended the procedural arrangement put in place for the session. Cato explained that parliamentary authorities consulted with the government ahead of the meeting, and agreed that the highly technical nature of the HTWG’s report made direct presentation by the expert group the most effective approach. “It is a highly technical report and that it is best presented by the experts,” Cato said.

    Prime Minister Mitchell echoed this reasoning, and extended public appreciation to HTWG members for their work and their accessible presentation to lawmakers. He confirmed that the full report, led by internationally recognized petroleum energy expert Dr. Gibert Yevi, will be formally laid before parliament in the coming days through his office as the responsible cabinet minister.

    Mitchell emphasized that the decision to bring in the HTWG for direct questioning and presentation stemmed from a commitment to transparency and clarity, not procedural misconduct. “The oil and gas industry as a commercial business industry is highly technical, highly commercial in nature and requires people with the expertise to lead it,” Mitchell noted. He added that elected leaders have a responsibility to recognize the limits of their own expertise and leverage specialist knowledge to keep the public and parliament fully informed, arguing that substance should always take priority over procedural formalities when it comes to critical national issues.

    The prime minister also used the session to address long-standing public concerns about the governance of Grenada’s emerging oil and gas sector, noting that for years the industry has been shrouded in secrecy, with little accessible documentation or public accountability. He pointed to the lack of official recorded data for previously drilled wells as evidence of past opacity, arguing that the current administration’s push for a public, expert-led parliamentary briefing is a deliberate break from that non-transparent approach.

    “If I wanted to be partisan, if I wanted to politicise this issue, I would not ask for a joint sitting of the House. I would not ask the experts to come and subject themselves to our questioning and our scrutiny. We would not make the reports available,” Mitchell said. He added that the government has gone to great lengths to organize not just technical briefings for lawmakers, but opportunities to share updates with the general public, to clarify what work has been completed, what steps lie ahead, and the government’s plan for moving the sector forward.

  • Walker Raises Alarm Over Teacher Shortages at Barbuda Secondary School

    Walker Raises Alarm Over Teacher Shortages at Barbuda Secondary School

    Nine years have passed since Hurricane Irma left a trail of widespread destruction across the small Caribbean island of Barbuda, and local representative Trevor Walker has sounded the alarm over a deepening education crisis that threatens the academic futures of the island’s secondary students. As the only secondary education institution on the entire island, Barbuda’s single secondary school is currently grappling with debilitating staff shortages that have left multiple core subject areas completely unstaffed or forced to rely on substandard remote learning arrangements, Walker revealed in an interview with Observer Radio.

    According to the Barbuda MP, mathematics classes are currently being delivered entirely online, with no on-island instructor permanently assigned to the role. The staffing gap is not isolated to mathematics: physics, chemistry, biology and art instruction are all without dedicated on-site teachers as well. Walker emphasized that this crisis carries particularly high stakes for students currently preparing for their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) assessments, noting that the lack of consistent in-person instruction directly puts these young learners at a major disadvantage, with the potential for lasting negative impacts on their exam outcomes and future academic and professional opportunities.

    Beyond the pressing education emergency, Walker has once again raised questions about a major post-hurricane donation that has never reached the island. Following Irma’s 2017 landfall, the Morgan Foundation contributed an estimated 3 million Eastern Caribbean dollars, equivalent to roughly 1 million US dollars, for recovery efforts. Walker claims that none of these funds have ever been disbursed to Barbuda, and alleged that Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told officials the money is now effectively “dead.”

    Walker also addressed the broader state of Barbuda’s recovery nearly a decade after the storm, acknowledging incremental progress in some sectors even as he highlighted long-unresolved gaps. Housing reconstruction, he said, is still ongoing, with work driven by labor programs run by the Barbuda Council in partnership with international donor support. He also recognized two major improvements in health services: medical evacuation airlifts organized by the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force have become far more reliable, and upgrade work for medical equipment at the island’s only hospital is continuing.

    Yet critical infrastructure projects remain stalled, Walker said. Planned road rehabilitation work across the island has ground to a halt, leaving a key community need unaddressed. He also reaffirmed his longstanding opposition to the 2018 repeal of the Barbuda Land Act, a deeply controversial policy change that overturned the island’s centuries-old system of communal land ownership. Walker labeled the repeal an act of “disaster capitalism,” exploiting the disruption of the hurricane to push through unpopular changes to the island’s most fundamental social and economic arrangement.

    To address the root of many of Barbuda’s ongoing challenges, Walker has renewed his call for widespread constitutional reform. He argued that Barbudans deserve formal, legally enshrined rights to make their own decisions about the island’s future development and policy direction, rather than having key changes imposed from outside.

    This report draws on original reporting by Sharon N. Simon of the Antigua Observer.

  • Government Considering Jolly Beach Lagoon for Kayaking and Water Sports

    Government Considering Jolly Beach Lagoon for Kayaking and Water Sports

    A new tourism-focused development initiative is being explored by the government of Antigua and Barbuda, which aims to convert an existing natural pond behind the popular Jolly Beach into a purpose-built recreational lagoon for outdoor water activities including kayaking. Prime Minister Gaston Browne first revealed this conceptual plan during a public appearance on the locally broadcast Browne and Browne Show, where he led a broader discussion on the rehabilitation of underutilized ponds and wetlands across the country and their potential conversion for public recreational use.

    During his remarks, Browne highlighted that the Jolly Beach pond was selected as a candidate site for a lagoon facility matching the model of similar recreational water spaces the administration has evaluated for other locations. He laid out the core vision for the project: the pond would undergo dredging to increase its depth, followed by infrastructural upgrades to reshape it into a scenic, activity-friendly lagoon capable of hosting kayaking, casual paddling, and a range of other non-motorized water sports.

    If advanced and brought to completion, the development is expected to deliver a significant boost to the Jolly Beach region’s tourism sector. By adding a new unique recreational attraction to the area’s existing offerings, the project would expand the diversity of activities available to both domestic visitors and international tourists, supporting longer stays and greater local economic spillover from tourism activity.

    Despite the outline of the concept, however, no key details about the project’s next steps have been released to the public. Prime Minister Browne declined to confirm whether preliminary environmental impact or engineering feasibility studies have already been conducted for the proposal. No public estimates have been shared regarding the total projected construction cost, a timeline for breaking ground and completing work, or any information about potential public or private operators that would manage the lagoon once completed. These omissions confirm the plan remains in its very early conceptual phase, with no formal approval or implementation timeline set as of yet.

  • Baptiste: Saint Lucia rejected four US-proposed third-country transfers

    Baptiste: Saint Lucia rejected four US-proposed third-country transfers

    In a public pre-Cabinet briefing held Monday, Saint Lucia’s External Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste has confirmed that the Caribbean nation turned down four of 10 third-country nationals proposed by the United States for transfer under a bilateral temporary relocation agreement, marking the first test of the arrangement between the two nations.

    Following the rejection, six approved migrants arrived in Saint Lucia last week. Baptiste disclosed that the new arrivals hold citizenship from nations across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, though their exact nationalities remain undisclosed for privacy. Of the six currently in the country, two have already expressed a desire to return to their home countries, with the Saint Lucian government now coordinating with their respective national embassies to coordinate this voluntary repatriation process. The remaining four have stated that they wish to stay in Saint Lucia for the immediate future.

    To clarify the terms of the agreement for the public, Baptiste repeatedly emphasized that Saint Lucia maintains full, unconditional discretion to vet and reject any individual the U.S. puts forward for relocation, pushing back against early misinformation that the nation had surrendered this sovereign authority. “In this first case, Saint Lucia did not accept all ten individuals that the US had submitted,” he noted during the briefing.

    A third-country national, by definition, refers to an individual deported from one country to a third state that is not their country of origin. Under the two-year temporary agreement between Washington and Castries, Saint Lucia can accept up to 10 third-country nationals per three-month period. Baptiste stressed that the arrangement is not a permanent resettlement program, but a temporary measure to support people facing precarious circumstances.

    Addressing widespread public concern over potential risks to national security and public safety that circulated in local discourse following the transfer, Baptiste confirmed that comprehensive government background checks found no evidence any of the six arrivals posed a threat. “They are certainly not criminals as has been portrayed in some circles,” he said, adding that the group are people who have faced extraordinary hardship related to their immigration status in the U.S. and are now seeking a chance to rebuild their lives with temporary safe haven.

    The transfer and reception process unfolded without incident, Baptiste confirmed, with multiple Saint Lucian government agencies — including the ministries of External Affairs, Health, Equity, and National Security — coordinating alongside international partners to manage the arrival. All program costs are covered by the U.S. government, with additional operational and logistics support provided by international partners, including assistance for voluntary repatriation. Migrants will remain housed under arrangements managed by the Saint Lucian government and its partners, with voluntary repatriation remaining an open option for any individual who chooses to return home at a later date.

    Baptiste also pushed back against criticism that the arrangement would strain the small developing nation’s existing social and economic resources. “We are fully cognisant that as a developing country we have real social and economic challenges, and this government does not minimise them, but our responsibility to the people of Saint Lucia and our responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity are not competing principles. We can and must do both,” he said.

    The first transfer came after months of negotiations between Saint Lucia and U.S. officials to assess the Caribbean nation’s capacity to participate in the program.

    Speaking alongside Baptiste on Monday, Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre — who also currently serves as Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) — clarified the regional bloc’s position on the agreement. Pierre confirmed that while the arrangement was discussed at the regional level, CARICOM member states retain full sovereign authority to make independent decisions on whether to participate in such programs.

    “In terms of political policies, CARICOM member states make their own decisions. There was discussion; people discussed the agreement, but it was left to individual governments to take the decisions that they felt were right and proper,” Pierre said.

    CARICOM leaders have previously raised collective concerns about the capacity of small island developing states to manage third-country national transit arrangements. They have stressed that any such agreements must not disrupt regional security or divert critical public resources and services away from member states’ own citizens.

    Operationally, the United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration manages on-the-ground implementation of the program in participating countries, while individual national governments retain full authority over all core decisions including admission, legal status, protection, and removal of relocated individuals.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Vows to Deport Foreign Criminals and Tighten Checks on Undocumented Migrants

    Antigua and Barbuda Vows to Deport Foreign Criminals and Tighten Checks on Undocumented Migrants

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that his administration will ramp up efforts to locate undocumented migrants and expel foreign nationals engaged in criminal activity from the twin-island nation. The announcement came during an appearance on the Browne and Browne Show, where senior law enforcement leaders were discussing the recent apprehension of foreign suspects who were wanted on murder charges in other jurisdictions. Following their arrest, police confirmed the suspects have already been transferred back to the countries where the crimes were committed to face prosecution. For Browne, these high-profile cases underscore a critical gap in the country’s immigration oversight: the absence of fully updated, accurate records on all foreign residents. “Every single immigrant in this country must bring his or her [immigration status] up to date,” Browne stated. “We have to know precisely who is in the country.” The prime minister clarified that undocumented migrants who fail to contribute to the country’s social and economic growth will be required to leave Antigua and Barbuda. “If you’re here illegally and you’re not making a contribution to nation-building, you go from whence you came,” he emphasized. Browne was quick to stress that this new enforcement push is not targeted at the broader immigrant community, noting that foreign-born residents have long been integral to Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing development. He added that his government has consistently treated immigrants fairly and recognizes the valuable work they have done alongside native-born citizens to build the national economy. That said, Browne argued that a small subset of foreign criminals have been exploiting Antigua and Barbuda as a safe hub to run cross-border illegal operations, most notably drug trafficking. He also confirmed that national security officials have received intelligence indicating that people wanted for serious violent offenses in neighboring Caribbean countries are currently hiding within the nation’s borders. “We are going to make sure we weed them out,” Browne said. “We have to keep this country safe and secure.” A senior police official echoed the prime minister’s concerns, calling for deeper collaboration between law enforcement agencies across the Caribbean region and more robust pre-entry background screening for all people arriving in Antigua and Barbuda. The official noted that the modus operandi and weapons used in a string of recent armed robberies in the country matched patterns typically associated with criminal networks based in other Caribbean jurisdictions. While Browne did not announce a formal timeline for rolling out the intensified enforcement or detail any specific new immigration tracking system, his public remarks make clear that strengthened immigration controls and more rigorous screening of foreign nationals will be central pillars of the government’s ongoing strategy to curb violent crime across the country.

  • ‘Nelson’s conviction caused losses’

    ‘Nelson’s conviction caused losses’

    A high-stakes legal battle over a $96 million compensation claim against the state has reached the Court of Appeal, with the Office of the Attorney General arguing that the claimant, British King’s Counsel Vincent Nelson, is essentially seeking public payout for harms directly resulting from his own criminal conviction.

    The case stems from a 2017 indemnity agreement Nelson struck with the Trinidad and Tobago government, under which he agreed to cooperate as an informer and prosecution witness in an investigation into an alleged kickbacks-for-legal-fees conspiracy targeting former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, and former United National Congress senator Gerald Ramdeen. In exchange, the then-attorney general Faris Al-Rawi committed to recommending to the independent Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that no criminal charges be brought against Nelson for matters covered in his notarized statement.

    After Nelson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and corruption in 2019, he was stripped of his ability to practice law by the UK Bar Standards Board, leading to millions in alleged lost income and related financial losses. Nelson argues that these harms trace back to the government’s breach of the 2017 agreement: former prime minister Stuart Young disclosed his confidential notarized statement to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) without following formal procedural requirements under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act or other relevant legislation. He contends the High Court erred in dismissing his full claim after finding a breach of contract, arguing he is at minimum entitled to nominal damages or a formal declaration of state wrongdoing.

    Representing the Attorney General’s Office, King’s Counsel Tom Poole laid out the state’s defense before a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justices Gillian Lucky, Carla Brown-Antoine and Maria Wilson. Poole emphasized that the core of the case turns on a clear legal distinction: Nelson’s loss of earnings and professional standing stem directly from his own criminal conviction and the resulting regulatory action by the Bar Standards Board, not from the government’s disclosure of his statement.

    “There’s a danger of conflating confidentiality with immunity,” Poole told the court, arguing Nelson has misinterpreted the 2017 agreement to stretch far beyond what parties actually negotiated. Poole explained that the agreement only guaranteed confidentiality protections for Nelson’s statement, not a blanket promise of immunity from prosecution. Under clause four of the agreement, Al-Rawi only committed to making a recommendation to the DPP – a distinction that reflected the constitutional independence of the DPP’s prosecutorial authority. Al-Rawi made clear in his evidence he could not grant immunity unilaterally, as that power rests solely with the DPP, Poole added.

    Poole further noted that Nelson’s own pre-action correspondence explicitly acknowledged he was barred from practicing law because the Bar Standards Board refused to issue him a practising certificate following his conviction. “That is his own explanation for why he could not practise,” Poole said, adding that the “immediate and operative impediment” to Nelson’s claimed income is his conviction, not the NCA disclosure.

    The state’s position aligns with a key finding from the initial High Court hearing: while Justice Jacqueline Wilson, KC, ruled the government did breach the confidentiality terms of the agreement by disclosing Nelson’s statement, she concluded the losses Nelson claimed fell outside the scope of the 2017 indemnity, leading her to dismiss the full $96 million claim. Poole told the appeal panel the High Court judge was correct on this central point.

    Nelson’s appeal also challenges the High Court’s finding that his potential liability to UK tax authorities is unrelated to the NCA disclosure. His claim includes compensation for lost earnings, lost insurance benefits, a $2.5 million conviction fine, and potential tax liabilities stemming from his guilty plea.

    In addition to defending the High Court’s dismissal of Nelson’s claim, the Attorney General’s Office has filed a cross-appeal, challenging the High Court’s core finding that the disclosure of Nelson’s notarized statement amounted to a breach of the 2017 agreement.

    The case carries broader procedural context: after Nelson refused to testify in the criminal case against Ramlogan and Ramdeen until his civil claim was resolved, the DPP discontinued all charges against the two men in October 2022, though the prosecution reserved the right to reinstate proceedings at a later date.

    Following the conclusion of legal submissions from both parties, the Court of Appeal panel has reserved its ruling, with Justice Lucky confirming that a judgment will be issued no later than six months from the hearing.

  • FIRE IN THE CHAMBER

    FIRE IN THE CHAMBER

    A routine special statutory meeting at Trinidad and Tobago’s Siparia Borough Corporation devolved into shouting, personal insults, and a mass walkout on Thursday, as bitter partisan tensions over committee leadership selection boiled over into open conflict.

    The confrontation centers on long-simmering political shifts that have shifted control of the borough to the governing People’s National Movement (PNM). In recent months, two former United National Congress (UNC) members – ex-alderman Victor Roberts and Siparia West/Fyzabad councillor Jason Ali – crossed the floor to join the PNM, and the passing of sitting UNC councillor Romona Victor cemented the PNM’s new majority in the chamber. Thursday’s meeting was convened for the core purpose of selecting chairs and members for all of the corporation’s internal committees, a routine post-shift restructuring that quickly turned contentious.

    PNM councillors won every single chair position for the four statutory standing committees, covering key portfolios including finance, planning, resource allocation, personnel, public health, and physical infrastructure. When the meeting moved to select leadership for non-standing committees, Mayor Doonath Mayrhoo introduced a formal guidance letter from Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen, the corporation’s line minister, to resolve a long-standing ambiguity in the body’s Standing Orders.

    Ameen’s letter addressed the open question of whether non-standing committee chairs are selected by the Mayor or appointed via full council vote, grounding her interpretation in Section 68(1) of the Municipal Corporations Act and Standing Order 47, which grants the Minister authority to resolve ambiguities in procedural rules. Her ruling clarified that selection of all non-standing committee and subcommittee chairs falls exclusively to the Mayor, with no requirement for council approval, ratification, or input. Any council resolution seeking to override this power, Ameen noted, would be inconsistent with existing rules and legally invalid.

    This interpretation was immediately rejected by Roberts, who stated he had no confidence in either the Minister’s ruling or the advice of Ministry legal director attorney Rondell Donowa, who attended the meeting at the CEO’s request on the Minister’s direction to provide clarifications. When Mayrhoo attempted to invite Donowa to address the chamber to explain the legal basis for the guidance, PNM alderman Christopher Encinas blocked the move, saying the council did not recognize Donowa’s authority to offer input in the meeting, despite holding him in personal high regard.

    PNM councillors then requested access to the full text of Ameen’s letter to seek independent legal advice, before Encinas unilaterally announced an adjournment and called on his fellow PNM representatives to exit the chamber. Before the walkout, Roberts had already attempted to introduce a motion to bar both Donowa and journalists from the meeting, a move blocked by corporate secretary Amirah Mohammed, who confirmed the Mayor holds full authority to allow both parties to attend, and that the meeting was legally open to the public.

    As the PNM group prepared to leave, the confrontation erupted into open personal insults between Mayrhoo and Roberts. Roberts accused the Mayor of bullying and indiscipline, declaring Mayrhoo unfit to hold his position and calling on the PNM delegation to exit. Mayrhoo shot back with scathing personal remarks, labeling the PNM group a “set of failures” that deserved their 2020 general election defeat and predicting another loss in the upcoming local government elections. He went on to label Roberts a traitor who had been appointed by the UNC, saying the PNM was using him as a “doormat” and had refused to give him a committee chair position despite his defection.

    The bitter confrontation is the latest flashpoint in tensions over Roberts’ party switch. Roberts resigned from the UNC last year and confirmed his defection to the PNM after appearing at the party’s 2023 sports and family day event. In May of this year, multiple UNC members held public demonstrations outside the corporation calling for Roberts to resign his seat. After the walkout, Mayrhoo reaffirmed his commitment to keeping the corporation operational, saying he would continue to stand up for the interests of the Siparia borough and maintain governance. The walkout leaves the committee selection process unfinished, with no clear timeline for reconvening the meeting to resolve the procedural deadlock.

  • OPINION: What Are Telecom Providers’ Obligations In Crime Fighting?

    OPINION: What Are Telecom Providers’ Obligations In Crime Fighting?

    As escalating crime in Antigua and Barbuda pushes government officials into a state of frantic panic, a growing crisis over the balance between public safety and constitutional liberties has emerged. Critics warn that leaders, desperate to regain control of a spiraling security situation, are abandoning long-held legal safeguards and risking overreach that could undermine the foundations of a free society. The core concern? That the push to crack down on crime is translating into a willingness to suspend core constitutional freedoms and the rule of law — a line that separates accountable democratic states from unaccountable regimes. At the heart of the current controversy is a standoff between national police and local telecommunications providers, first reported by Antigua News Room. An Assistant Police Commissioner has publicly accused telecom firms of deliberately delaying criminal investigations by failing to turn over requested subscriber and device data in a timely manner. Law enforcement has specifically singled out disputes around access to information stored on seized mobile phones, leaving officials frustrated by what they frame as non-cooperation. In response, the government has moved to punish providers with threats of $50,000 fines for non-compliance. What has not been addressed in official statements, however, is a critical detail: whether police have secured proper judicial warrants for the data they are demanding. This omission raises serious red flags for privacy advocates and legal observers, who argue that unfettered, warrantless access to personal citizen data violates core constitutional protections. While there is broad public sympathy for the challenges law enforcement faces as crime rates rise, critics argue that police should never receive unchecked authority to bypass privacy rights without proof of just cause. That authorization, they emphasize, must come from an independent magistrate or judge, who reviews the evidence police present before granting approval for data requests from telecom providers. No member of law enforcement, cabinet minister, or public official should be entitled to automatic access to a private citizen’s call records or device data without either a valid court warrant or explicit consent from the individual under investigation, argues the commentator. Warrantless requests represent a clear violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy, a safeguard put in place specifically to prevent unlawful overreach by government and law enforcement. History offers plenty of cautionary examples: the region is no stranger to documented cases of police officers and public officials abusing their access to privileged personal information for improper, often nefarious ends, with little to no accountability. Just recently, a sitting government minister made public, unauthorized comments about the private bank balance of a citizen, illustrating the very real risk of abuse when checks on executive power are removed. Adding further confusion to the dispute is the lack of clarity around exactly what police are demanding from telecom providers. Critics point out that unlocking password-protected seized mobile devices falls far outside the scope of service providers’ capabilities; telecom companies do not maintain access to the locked internal storage of personal handsets, and law enforcement would typically need to coordinate with device manufacturers like Apple or Google to unlock devices, not local service providers. Given the lack of mention of warrants in official complaints, the commentator suggests that telecom providers’ hesitation to comply is not only reasonable but commendable. It is highly likely that providers are holding back information while seeking legal guidance on potential liability for releasing private data: without a court warrant shielding them from legal action, providers open themselves up to major legal risk if they turn over user information. This, the argument goes, is almost certainly the root of the current impasse, not deliberate obstruction of justice. A core principle of democratic constitutional governance is often misunderstood by the public: constitutions are not merely documents outlining government structure, they are tools designed explicitly to limit the power of the state over private citizens. This is why all government leaders are required to swear a public oath to uphold the constitution — a promise to protect citizens from abuse of state power. To put the principle in perspective, the argument notes that no ordinary citizen would be granted the right to demand private telecom records just because they suspect a neighbor of defaming them to their employer. The same standard of protection must apply to actions by police and government officials. Requiring judicial oversight of data requests is not an unnecessary barrier to fighting crime; it is the critical protection that guards ordinary people against arbitrary abuse of power by the state.

  • FM Chet Greene Meets UK Minister Chris Elmore Ahead of CHOGM 2026

    FM Chet Greene Meets UK Minister Chris Elmore Ahead of CHOGM 2026

    As preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) enter a critical phase, Antigua and Barbuda has stepped up high-level diplomatic engagement with the United Kingdom, holding a productive working meeting between top foreign policy officials from both island nations this week in London.

    Leading the Antigua and Barbuda delegation was E.P. Chet Greene, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration, who met face-to-face with Chris Elmore, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The gathering forms a core part of Greene’s ongoing London consultation schedule leading up to the upcoming Commonwealth summit scheduled for November. Also in attendance for the discussions were Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill, Antigua and Barbuda’s High Commissioner to the UK and official Focal Point for 2026 CHOGM, and Caleb Gardiner, Third Secretary at the Antigua and Barbuda High Commission in London.

    During the talks, Minister Greene emphasized the critical value of robust bilateral and multilateral partnerships as Antigua and Barbuda makes final arrangements to host the entire 56-member Commonwealth bloc. He noted that the 2026 CHOGM represents a landmark opportunity to expand on-the-ground cooperation, unlock new targeted investment, and advance collective shared priorities across all member states of the association. The meeting also served as a key platform to reaffirm the deep, long-standing diplomatic and people-to-people ties that have bound Antigua and Barbuda and the UK for decades, with both sides exploring new avenues for sustained collaboration within the Commonwealth framework.

    High Commissioner Hill led specific portions of the discussion focused on UK engagement and coordinated support for Antigua and Barbuda’s core policy priorities for the 2026 summit. Scheduled to be hosted by Antigua and Barbuda, CHOGM 2026 will carry the official theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, a framing that aligns directly with the host nation’s goals of forging deeper cross-bloc collaboration and delivering tangible, impactful results that benefit all Commonwealth member states.