Caribbean Times 67th issue - Friday March 11th 2016

Informative, reliable, enriching! 

Friday 11th March 2016 A n t i g u a a n d B a r b u d a 

Vol.6 No.67 $2.00 

SIR DAVID EXPLAINS 

THE CCJ 

By Everton Barnes 

The key architect of the Caribbean 

Court of Justice (CCJ), Barbadian Sir 

David Simmons, staunchly defended 

the regional court in an informative 

presentation punctuated with detailed 

information regarding the thinking behind 

the structure and functionality of 

the institution. 

Sir David was among the local and 

regional experts participating in the 

discussions held on Thursday as part 

of the official launch of a three-month 

public education and sensitisation campaign 

on the CCJ with reference to 

Antigua and Barbuda migrating away 

from the Privy Council to the CCJ as 

its final court. 

The esteemed Barbadian jurist 

and former Chief Justice said that 

he formed part of a number of teams 

that visited each Caribbean Community 

(CARICOM) country to hear the 

views of ordinary people on what type 

of court they wanted. He disclosed that 

it became clear that the people of the 

Caribbean had two primary concerns 

regarding the establishment of the regional 

court. 

Firstly, Sir David said they did not 

want politicians to have anything to do 

with the appointment of judges; and 

secondly, they did not want the court 

to suffer the same fate as other regional 

institutions that have been constantly 

starved for money. “Caribbean people 

did not want the court to be embarrassed 

because it could not pay its debts 

or function properly due to under-funding 

by their governments,” Sir David 

explained. 

Sir David recalled attending a meeting 

of Caribbean Attorneys General in 

Jamaica in 2000. There, he had informal 

discussions with Guyanese jurist, 

Duke Pollard - another of the early architects 

of the CCJ - prior to the more 

formal meeting. Sir David credited Pollard 

with coming up with the idea of a 

trust fund that would finance the operations 

of the CCJ. It was at that meeting, 

he added, that the Jamaica delegation 

suggested the name for the court, the 

Caribbean Court of Justice. 

cont’d on pg 2

2 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 

Friday 11th March 2016 

Five Islands facility to be 

officially handed over today 

Today, Friday March 11, the Ambassador 

of the People’s Republic of China 

to Antigua and Barbuda, His Excellency 

Mr. Ren Gongping, will hand-over 

the Five Islands facility to the Government 

of Antigua and Barbuda during 

a Signing Ceremony at the Office of the 

Prime Minister commencing at 2:00 

p.m. The Five Islands Facility is earmarked 

by the Government to be the 

main Campus of the University of Antigua 

and Barbuda. 

During the Ceremony, the Chinese 

Ambassador and Minister of Sports the 

Hon. E.P. Chet Greene will sign documents 

which will officially signal the 

completion of renovation work at the 

Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium. 

cont’d from pg 1 

The Trust Fund is a key 

ingredient in the operationalising 

of the CCJ as it guarantees 

the court’s continued 

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NATURALISATION 

NOTICE 

Notice is hereby given 

that Rosanna Hernandez of 

Kentish Road, St. John’s, 

Antigua, is applying to the 

Minister for Naturalization 

and that any person who 

knows any reason why naturalization 

should not be 

granted should send a written 

and signed statement of 

the facts to the Permanent 

Secretary, Ministry of External 

Affiars. 

existence without it having 

to seek the financial support 

of governments. The lucid 

Sir David, explained that 

the Caribbean Development 

Bank deposited US$100 

million into the fund. This 

money was paid back by 

participating governments 

based on a formula agreed 

to by all. That money was 

then invested by a special 

committee of trustees, and 

the proceeds are what go 

towards the day-to-day expenses 

of the CCJ. 

In addressing the selection 

process for judges, Sir 

David disclosed that systems 

have been put in place to ensure 

that men and women of 

the highest integrity, legal 

mind, and having a social 

conscious are selected to be 

judges on the CCJ. He stated 

that he strongly believes 

that these systems make the 

CCJ one of the preeminent 

courts compared with those 

from any part of the world. 

Indeed, the CCJ is help up as 

an international model since 

it is by far less likely to be 

influenced by politics or politicians. 

The shrewd jurist, also 

took a jab at the situation in 

the United States where the 

Republican majority in the 

Senate is telling President 

Obama that he cannot name 

a replacement for the late 

Justice Antonin Scalia as is 

the President’s Constitutional 

right. “That is a clear case 

of a highly political court! 

Then Caribbean people will 

live in the U.S. under such 

a court, but for the Caribbean 

and the CCJ, they are 

talking about political interference. 

What nonsense!” he 

remarked. 

Sir David will be making 

a number of media appearances 

on Friday; and 

on Monday, he will deliver 

a lecture to students at the 

Antigua State College. The 

public education campaign 

continues on Friday with a 

Youth Forum. On Saturday 

there is a media workshop 

involving local and regional 

journalists, broadcasters, 

and media practitioners. 

Caribbean Times is printed and published at Woods Estate / Friars Hill Road. The Editor is Dr. 

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St. John’s, Antigua. Tel: (268) 562-8688, Fax: (268) 562-8685. Website: www.caribbeantimes.ag

Friday 11th March 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 3



Agriculture development on 

government’s list of priorities 

Joanna Paris 

Antigua and Barbuda will 

soon be receiving assistance 

from the People’s Republic 

of China in the area of water 

management. ‘Junior’ Minister 

of Agriculture, the Hon. 

Samantha Marshall, indicated 

that one of the challenges that 

has been affecting the output 

of the sector is the ongoing 

drought conditions. Minister 

Marshall mentioned that this 

is the third straight year that 

the country has been heavily 

impacted by the lack of rainfall. 

“We have had an offer 

from the Chinese and they 

will be working along with 

us as part of a program which 

is currently being developed. 

The Hon., Samantha Marshall. 

This will be sure to put us in 

a better position to deal with 

water management”, explained 

Minister Marshall. 

She said that both herself and 

the substantive Minister, the 

Hon. Arthur Nibbs met with 

the Chinese in November last 

year and have subsequently 

formulised a committee, 

which will conduct a thorough 

review of the situation. 

Marshall hopes that in the 

next two months, plans would 

be at an advanced stage. Minister 

Marshall indicated her 

cognisance that persons are 

concerned about what is happening 

with the agriculture 

sector. She indicated, however, 

that the Government 

remains committed to the development 

of that industry in 

Antigua and Barbuda. 

Additionally, Marshall reported 

that her recent trip to 

the Food and Agriculture Organization 

(FAO) 34 th Latin 

American Caribbean Conference, 

held in Mexico was a 

success. She mentioned that 

during the forum, the counties 

were able to share their 

strengths and weaknesses 

in agriculture development. 

Minister Marshall also made 

Joanna Paris 

As of June 16th this year, the weights 

of all exported containers must be 

checked and verified by Port officials. 

If the containers are not validated, they 

will not be exported. General Manager of 

the Antigua Port Authority, Darwin Telemaque, 

has stated that as part of the Safety 

of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, to 

which the country is a signatory, Antigua 

and Barbuda has agreed to all the provisions 

that are enshrined in the document. 

Telemaque indicated that recently, 

the International Maritime Organization 

(IMO) developed new regulations as it 

relates to container weights. He suggested 

that the changes have become necessary 

based on several incidents around 

the world, where overweight containers 

have posed threats to the lives of those 

onboard the vessels transporting the 

goods. “We now need to ensure that we 

have systems in place at the Port Authority 

that can do the verifications,” remarked 

the Port Manager. 

In this regard, a stakeholder sensitisation 

program began on Wednesday. 

Representatives from the Antigua and 

Barbuda Bureau of Standards and the 

Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce, 

together with other key agencies, 

were notified about the changes that will 

take place. Telemaque added that plans 

are afoot to host wider consultations to 

a presentation on the county’s 

behalf, giving an update on 

the state of the sector in Antigua 

and Barbuda. Once again, 

she detailed the challenges 

facing the country where water 

is concerned, with other 

counties echoing similar concerns. 

Discussions were also 

held with the Nicaraguan Ambassador 

and representatives 

from Argentina to work along 

with the country to increase 

livestock production. Both 

territories, Minister Marshall 

said, are willing to assist in 

that regard. Follow up talks 

will take place shortly. Director 

of Agriculture, Jedidiah 

Maxime and Consultant Julian 

Ross accompanied Minister 

Marshall on the trip. 

APC begins awareness program about 

changes that will affect shipping in June 

update the general public. 

The talks will give information on 

the new rule, how the country intends to 

deal with the changes, and more directly, 

how they will affect business owners 

and exporters. “It is crucial that Antigua 

and Barbuda maintain its commitment to 

the SOLAS convention. We are indeed 

a flagged state. ADOMS is a significant 

part of the maritime infrastructure as such 

we are a solid part of the IMO, hence 

we need to adhere to SOLAS and other 

conventions,” Telemaque elaborated. He 

stated that this will evidently change the 

way business is conducted at ports and 

appealed for the cooperation of every one 

that will be involved in the process.

Friday 11th March 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 5 

Lovell supports move to CCJ 

By Everton Barnes 

Political Leader of the 

United Progressive Party, 

Senator Harold Lovell, is 

throwing his full support behind 

the move of Antigua and 

Barbuda towards the adoption 

of the Caribbean Court 

of Justice (CCJ) as its final 

appellate court. 

Speaking on Wednesday’s 

Snake-pit programme with 

Serpent on the eve of the 

launch for the public education 

programme on the CCJ, 

Lovell said he is on board 

with the need for a comprehensive 

public education 

campaign prior to the holding 

of a referendum on the 

matter. 

Lovell, however, stated 

that he is aware that there are 

still many in the society who 

harbour fears and or misgivings 

about the CCJ. He said 

the way to deal with this is 

by a process of education because 

the matter of the CCJ 

should not be ‘rammed down 

the people’s throats’. 

The political leader of 

the United Progressive Party 

(UPP) indicated that many of 

these fears are deep-seated 

and, have much to do with 

a number of landmark cases 

that were presided over 

by the London-based Privy 

Council, in which, the Privy 

Council overturned the decisions 

of the Appeals Court. 

Lovell gave as examples 

four cases: Tthe Tim Hector 

case, the Elloy Defreitas 

case, the hotel workers’ case, 

and the Observer case. Many 

persons are of the view that 

justice was only given when 

the Privy Council gave its 

ruling. Nonetheless, Lovell 

contended that on closer examination, 

it was not a case 

where the Privy Council 

came to the table with a new 

ruling, but where its decisions 

were in line with one of 

the lower courts. 

The political leader also 

pointed to the fact that the 

CCJ has made landmark decisions 

that have gone against 

the government of the day. 

Water consumers benefit from new 

reverse osmosis plant at Pigeon Point 

APUA continues to move towards its 

goal of transitioning to reverse osmosis technology 

for the provision of water services to 

the nation. 

Reverse Osmosis will allow for the use of 

sea water as potable water through desalination. 

This is critical in a drought prone country 

such as Antigua and Barbuda, where surface 

water continues to become less reliable. 

The most recent installation is the Reverse 

Osmosis plant located at the Pigeon 

Point beach. The major construction phase 

is now complete and last week the testing 

phase began. 

Water has been provided from the plant 

to areas between the Nelson’s Dockyard and 

Cobbs Cross. 

APUA Engineer, and one of the project 

coordinators, Tesfa Francis states that currently, 

adjustments are being made to the 

system regarding the feed wells used to direct 

water to the plant, the major aim is to 

ensure that both the quality and quantity of 

water produced are at satisfactory levels. 

At present, production has reached 83% 

of the overall capacity and it is anticipated 

with the addition of a new intake supply that 

full functionality will be attained shortly. 

Already during the testing phase, consumers 

have begun to experience significant 

relief. National Parks Commissioner, Ann 

Marie Martin, attests to being able to now 

meet the daily demand for water from the 

yachts at Nelson’s Dockyard. 

“Water is being provided on a regular basis, 

and we expect that it will only get better,” 

she says. The installation of the new 

plant is also quite timely as it coincides with 

the yacht season, where demand is at its peak 

in the area. The date for the formal commissioning 

of the plant will be announced shortly. 

UPP Political Leader Senator 

Harold Lovell. 

“The need to take decisions 

contrary to that of the government 

does not reside only 

with the Privy Council. That 

trait can also be found among 

the judicial system in the Caribbean,” 

he asserted. The 

UPP leader said that as far 

as he is concerned, the Privy 

Council has nothing over the 

CCJ. 

President of the CCJ, Sir 

Denis Byron, also appearing 

on the programme, said it 

was time that the CCJ be given 

a chance to play its rightful 

role in Caribbean societies. 

Additionally, Sir Denis 

saw the CCJ as an opportunity 

for the people of the region 

to demonstrate their commitment 

to regionalism. 

Head of the National Coordinating 

Committee, Ambassador 

Dr. Clarence Henry, 

said much of the fear about 

the CCJ is a knee-jerk reaction 

by Caribbean people because 

they are fearful about 

embracing something new. 

Dr. Henry stated that many 

still feel the standards of the 

CCJ are not as high as those 

of the Privy Council, but he 

insisted that such a claim was 

simply not true.



‘Brother B’ gets a June date 

Deborah A Parker 

June 1 is the return date that was 

given to Hilson ‘Brother B’ Baptiste 

when he appeared before Chief Magistrate 

Joanne Walsh in the St John’s 

Magistrate’s Court yesterday. 

Five charges were read to Baptiste, 

and to each he pleaded not guilty. On 

Tuesday (March 8), Baptiste was arrested 

and charged with battery on police, 

resisting arrest, failure to comply 

to the directives of a police officer on a 

public road (Pavilion drive), dangerous 

driving and assault of an officer with 

the intent to commit grievous bodily 

harm. 

These offences were allegedly committed 

at the VC Bird International Airport. 

Allegations are that Baptiste used 

his jeep to knock Constable Glendon 

Ragguette, after the airport- stationed 

officer advised him against stopping 

Alecia Mc Pherson 

Jairo Ephraim, aged 32 of 

Bolans Village, once again 

appeared at the St. John’s 

Magistrates Court before 

Chief Magistrate Jo-Anne 

Walsh on two other charges 

of fraudulent conversion. 

at a prohibited area in front of the terminal. 

Further reports also indicate that the 

former St Mary’s South parliamentarian, 

remained in his vehicle even after 

asked to exit by at least three police 

officers. 

Baptiste was subsequently arrested 

and charged. 

On Wednesday (March 9) he was 

granted station bail for $10,000. 

When he appeared before the Chief 

Magistrate she offered bail proper; 

this, in the sum of $5,000. Of that 

amount, Baptiste was required to deposit 

$1,000. 

He was also asked to report to the St. 

John’s Police Station on Mondays and 

Saturdays between the hours of 6:00 

a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

All his travel documents should be 

surrendered to the court; and, he was 

also asked to present two Antiguan 

Yet again, Ephraim was 

committed to stand trial at 

the May assizes in the High 

Court. 

Mark Wellington of Michaels 

Village is another disappointed 

customer reporting 

that he was scammed out 

of EC $7,200 with no vehicle 

to show for the money he 

dispensed. 

It is reported that in May 

of 2014, the virtual complainant 

paid the sum of 

money to Ephraim to import 

a car from Japan, through 

Bolans man bailed 

Deborah A Parker 

Aaron Willock, aged 23, obtained bail 

in the sum of $1,500 when he appeared before 

Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh in the St 

John’s Magistrate’s Court. 

Charges against Willock relate to escaping 

lawful custody and battery on police. Of 

the bail total, he was asked to deposit $500. 

Willock is required to report to the Johnson’s 

Point Police station on Mondays and 

Saturdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The 

court asked him to present one local surety, 

and also ordered him to surrender his 

travel documents (to the court). May 31 is 

Willock’s next court date. Before leaving the 

courtroom, Chief Magistrate Walsh warned 

Willock: “Your bail will be revoked if you 

are not present at 9 a.m.” 

Hilson Baptiste 

sureties. 

When given the return court date, 

the Chief Magistrate told Baptiste’s 

attorney Leon ‘Chaku’ Symister: “Let 

your client know the ramifications, if 

he is late or fails to show up.” 

Ephraim committed to stand trial for 

another charge of fraudulent conversion 

online purchasing; but to 

date has not received any 

vehicle. Ephraim was arrested 

on suspicion of fraud and 

was subsequently charged 

for fraudulent conversion of 

the sum for his own use. 

The second charge was as 

a result of a report made by 

Gaysha Atkinson, cliaming 

that she too was scammed 

out of $7,500 in May of 

2014 after paying the money 

to Ephraim for a Toyota 

Rav4. Fraudulent conversion 

is a charge which falls 

under the section 21 of the 

Larceny Act of the Laws of 

Antigua and Barbuda.


Successful educational campaign launch 

A three-month public education 

campaign was launched on Thursday in 

Antigua & Barbuda as the government 

prepares to hold a referendum to determine 

whether to replace the London 

based Privy Council as its apex court 

with the Trinidad based Caribbean 

Court of Justice (CCJ). 

The campaign, which has bi-partisan 

support, will span three months on 

a budget which government said will 

exceed two million dollars. 

Demonstrating a united front, Prime 

Minister Gaston Browne and Leader of 

the Opposition United Progressive Party 

(UPP) Baldwin Spencer who were 

both at the head table at the launch, 

urged the electorate to choose the CCJ, 

contending it will provide easier access 

to justice. 

Spencer noted that “true freedom” 

will only come when the country and 

region move from a position “where 

colonialism and imperialism controlled 

our decision making processes to a position 

where we are not only a free people, 

but we have to make sure we form 

a society in which our decision making 

processes are ours.” 

Supporting Spencer, PM Browne 

made “a clarion call for all registered 

voters in Antigua and Barbuda to support 

this important institution of regional 

Governance and sovereignty.” 

He said the current final appellate 

court “is clearly an outmoded colonial 

construct that was designed exclusively 

for the wealthy few and has failed to 

provide broad-based accessibility and 

dispensation of justice to the masses.” 

Elaborating on Spencer’s point on 

access to justice, PM Browne said justice 

is not only delayed because of the 

remoteness of the Privy Council but, in 

many instances was denied because of 

inaccessibility associated with the prohibitively 

high costs. 

“Even today, justice is being denied 

to the majority of our people who find 

it cost-prohibitive to take their case to 

the Judicial Committee of the Privy 

Council,” he said. 

“Having the CCJ as an all-inclusive 

final appellate court, will cure this egregious 

injustice of exclusivity that has 

plagued us since 1834,” Browne said, 

while adding that the fact that the CCJ 

is an itinerant court (travelling court) 

will help offset costs for litigants. 

Former attorney general Justin Simon 

QC noted that between 2007 and 

2014 about a dozen cases from Antigua 

and Barbuda were taken before the 

Privy Council, while over 30 cases were 

taken before the CCJ which was inaugurated 

in 2005 and which also serves 

as an international tribunal interpreting 

the Revised treaty of Chaguaramas. 

Simon said the statistics suggest 

there is a serious problem of a lack of 

access to justice as he pointed to two 

cases where litigants spent hundreds of 

thousands of dollars to cover legal expenses 

before the Privy Council. 

In a video message, Caricom Secretary 

General Irwin LaRocque also 

expressed support from the proposed 

move, stressing it will “complete the 

country’s circle of independence.” 

He said the court was set up with 

the highest levels of international standards 

and steps were taken, and remain 

in place to ensure there’s no political 

interference in the management and 

operations of the court. 

According to him, the CCJ is also 

staffed with some of the “highest intellectual 

minds” and “there’s no other 

court in the world as independent” 

as the CCJ since it is funded under a 

unique trust fund arrangement and does 

not have to rely on governments for 

money. 

Another point noted was that the 

judges are not appointed by the heads 

of government. 

CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron, 

who applauded the main opposition 

UPP and the ruling administration for 

dealing with this issue with “political 

maturity”, said there’s no evidence justifying 

public concern of political interference, 

while he highlighted that the 

“high quality” judgments of the court 

are readily available for public perusal. 

Explaining the system used to ensure 

the financial independence of the 

institution, he said, “The financial arrangements 

of the court included the 

establishment of a trust fund where 

member states invested US$100 million 

with the expectation that the interest 

of that investment would fund the 

court in perpetuity.” 

Meanwhile, head of the education 

campaign mission, Ambassador Dr 

Clarence Henry said in order for the 

national referendum to be executed, 

elections rules must be drafted and that 

is currently being done by Dr Francis 

Alexis, a constitutional lawyer based in 

Grenada. 

“He has been provided with all 

necessary legislation from which draft 

rules for the referendum will be drawn, 

in consultation with the Antigua and 

Barbuda Electoral Commission and 

there’s also a parliamentary process to 

be followed,” he reported. 

On Friday morning, there will be 

another session which will be led by 

youth. Henry said the aim is to ensure 

the public is sensitised adequately to 

participate in the referendum which requires 

a two-thirds favourable majority 

to allow for the move from the privy 

council to the CCJ. 

While no date has been set, the government 

hopes to hold the referendum 

in June. (Office of NAO).


Friday 11th March 2016


Cuba reaffirms its will to advance 

in relations with the USA (Part I) 

(Cuban Ambassador to Antigua 

and Barbuda, Gustavo Véliz Olivares) 

The President of the United States 

of America, Barack Obama, will make 

an official visit to Cuban this coming 

March 20-22. This will be the second 

time a U.S. President comes to our archipelago. 

Previously having done so 

was Calvin Coolidge, who landed in 

Havana in January of 1928. He arrived 

aboard a warship to attend the 6th Pan 

American Conference, which was held 

at that time under the sponsorship of a 

local figure recalled as infamous, Gerardo 

Machado. 

This will be the first time a President 

of the United States comes to a 

Cuba in full possession of her sovereignty 

and with a Revolution in power, 

headed by its historic leadership. This 

event is part of the process initiated December 

17, 2014, when the President of 

Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, 

Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and 

President Barack Obama simultaneously 

announced the decision to reestablish 

diplomatic relations, broken by 

the United States almost 54 years ago. 

It is part of the complex process of 

normalization of bilateral ties, which 

has barely begun, and has advanced on 

the only grounds that are possible and 

just: respect, equality, reciprocity, and 

the recognition of our government’s legitimacy. 

This point has been reached, in 

the very first place, as a result of the 

Cuban people’s heroic resistance and 

loyalty to principles, the defense of 

national independence and sovereignty. 

Such values, which have not been 

negotiable for 50 years, led the United 

States government to admit the severe 

damage the blockade has caused our 

population, and recognize the failure 

of the openly hostile policy toward the 

Revolution. Not with force, economic 

coercion, or isolation were they able to 

impose conditions on Cuba which were 

contrary to our aspirations, forged over 

almost 150 years of heroic struggle. 

The current process undertaken 

with the United States has been possible 

also thanks to unwavering international 

solidarity, in particular from 

the governments and peoples of Latin 

America and the Caribbean, who put 

the United States in an unsustainable 

position of isolation. Strongly united, 

“like silver in the bedrock of the Andes,” 

as our national hero José Martí 

said in his essay “Our America,” Latin 

America and the Caribbean demanded 

a change in policy toward Cuba. 

This regional demand was made 

unequivocally clear at the Summits of 

the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad 

and Tobago, in 2009, and in Cartagena, 

Colombia, in 2012, when all countries 

of the region unanimously and categorically 

demanded the lifting of the 

blockade, and our country’s participation 

in the 7th hemispheric meeting 

in Panama, in 2015, to which a Cuban 

delegation, led by Raúl, attended, for 

the first time. 

Since the announcements of December, 

2014, Cuba and the United 

States have taken steps toward improving 

the bilateral context. On July 

20, 2015, diplomatic relations were 

officially reestablished, along with the 

commitment to develop them on the 

basis of respect, cooperation, and observance 

of the principles of international 

law. 

Two meetings between the Presidents 

of the countries have taken place, 

in addition to the exchange of visits by 

ministers and other contacts between 

high ranking officials. Cooperation 

in various areas of mutual benefit are 

advancing, and new opportunities for 

discussion have opened up, allowing 

for dialogue on issues of bilateral and 

multi-lateral interest, including those 

about which we have different conceptions. 

The U.S. President will be welcomed 

by the government of Cuba and 

its people with the hospitality which 

distinguishes us, and will be treated 

with all consideration and respect, as 

befits a head of state. This will be an 

opportunity for the President to directly 

observe a nation immersed in its economic 

and social development, and in 

improving its citizens’ wellbeing. This 

people enjoys rights, and can exhibit 

achievements which are only dreams 

for many of the world’s countries, despite 

the limitations derived from our 

condition as an underdeveloped, blockaded 

country - which has earned us international 

recognition and respect. 

Figures of international renown 

such as Pope Francis and Patriarch 

Kirill described this island, in their joint 

statement released in Havana in February, 

as “a symbol of hope of the New 

World.” French President François 

Hollande recently affirmed, “Cuba is 

respected and heard throughout Latin 

America,” and praised the country’s 

capacity for resistance in the face of 

the most difficult tests. South African 

leader Nelson Mandela always had 

words of profound gratitude for Cuba. 

In Matanzas, on July 26, 1991, he said, 

“Those of us in Africa are accustomed 

to being victims of other countries who 

want to seize our territory or subvert 

our sovereignty. In the history of Africa, 

there is no other example of a people 

(like the Cuban) who have come to 

the defense of one of us.” 

Obama will find himself in a councont’d 

on pg 10



Students to participate in forum on CCJ 

Secondary and tertiary level students 

will be given the opportunity 

today, Friday, to have their say on the 

Government’s decision to adopt the 

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the 

country’s final Court of Appeal during 

the second round of public consultations. 

Billed as a National Youth Forum, 

more than 2,000 students from public 

and private institutions, including Antigua 

State College and ABICE in addition 

to students from the neighbouring 

island of Montserrat will be in attendance. 

They will be educated on the issues 

relating to the history and operations 

of both the CCJ and the Privy Council, 

and the process of conducting a referendum. 

Though many are yet to attain the 

required age to participate in the referendum, 

Senior Education Officer in 

charge of Secondary Schools, Charmaine 

Meade-Jarvis says the way is 

being paved for future generations. 

“Whatever decision we make now 

will not necessarily impact older individuals, 

but for the students, the decision 

that is made now they will have 

to live with it,” Mrs. Meade-Jarvis said. 

“It is imperative that adults hear 

what the students’ positions are so that 

we can craft in our minds which is the 

better choice to make,” she noted. 

Panellists for Friday’s forum will 

include attorneys Jermaine Rhudd, 

Amaya Athill and Kwame Simon. 

They will be supported by Attorney 

General Steadroy Benjamin and Sir 

Dennis Byron, President of the CCJ. 

Established a decade ago, to date, 

only four CARICOM states, Guyana, 

Barbados, Dominica and Belize have 

cut ties with the London based Privy 

Council, and have signed on to the Caribbean 

Court of Justice as their court 

of final appeal. 

All other territories, including Antigua 

and Barbuda recognise the CCJ in 

its original jurisdiction. 


try which actively contributes 

to regional and world 

peace and stability, and 

which shares with other peoples 

not what we have left 

over, but the modest resources 

we possess, making solidarity 

an essential element 

of our identity, and humanity’s 

wellbeing - one of the 

fundamental objectives of 

our international policy, as 

Martí imparted to us. 

He will also have the opportunity 

to meet a noble, 

friendly, dignified people 

with an elevated sense of patriotism 

and national unity, 

who have always struggled 

for a better future, despite 

the adversities we have been 

obliged to face. 

The President of the 

United States will be received 

by a revolutionary 

people with a deeply-rooted 

political culture, which is 

the result of a long tradition 

of struggle for its true, definitive 

independence, first 

against Spanish colonialism 

and later against imperialist 

domination by the United 

States – a struggle in which 

our best sons and daughters 

have shed their blood and 

faced all manner of risks. 

A people who will never 

renounce the defense of their 

principles and the vast work 

of the Revolution, following 

without vacillation the 

examples of Carlos Manuel 

de Céspedes, José Martí, 

Antonio Maceo, Julio Antonio 

Mella, Rubén Martínez 

Villena, Antonio Guiteras 

and Ernesto Che Guevara, 

among many others. 

This is also a people united 

by historical, cultural and 

affective ties with that of the 

United States, whose emblematic 

figure, the writer 

Ernest Hemingway, received 

the Nobel Prize for literature 

for a novel set in Cuba. 

A people which shows 

its gratitude to those from 

the United States who, like 

Thomas Jordan, Henry 

Reeve, Winchester Osgood, 

and Frederick Funston, 

fought with the Liberation 

Army in our wars of independence 

against Spain; and 

those who in the more recent 

era have opposed aggression 

against Cuba, like Reverend 

Lucius Walker who defied 

the blockade to bring solidarity 

and help to our people, 

and supported the return 

to the homeland of the boy 

Elián González and the Cuban 

Five. We learned from 

Martí to admire the homeland 

of Lincoln and repudiate 

Cutting. 

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Sandals Foundation and Rotary Club inspire hope in Dominica 

ROSEAU – After a successful 

fundraising effort last 

year in the wake of Tropical 

Storm Erika, the Sandals 

Foundation partnered with the 

Rotary Club of Dominica and 

the Ministry of Education and 

Human Resource Development 

to provide hope to the 

community of Petite Savanne. 

The community was one of 

the worst hit, declared a disaster 

area and many of its residents 

were forced to relocate 

from their homes following 

the passage of Tropical Storm 

Erika, last August. As part of 

its commitment to education 

across the Caribbean region, 

the Sandals Foundation, the 

non-profit arm of Sandals 

Resorts International, felt 

compelled to lend assistance 

to the Petite Savanne Primary 

School, now operating at 

a new location in Roseau. To 

provide the students with inspiration 

in their new school, 

the Sandals Foundation created 

a brand new multi-purpose 

room following a month long 

fundraising campaign. 

To foster an environment 

of creative thinking and learning, 

the Sandals Foundation 

has outfitted the new multipurpose 

room with brand new 

Dell computers and a printer, a 

projector and projector screen, 

new school furniture and floor 

rugs, over 1,500 brand new 

books, educational manipulatives 

and a variety of school 

supplies for students ages 5 – 

12 years. Additionally, funds 

raised were allocated for a 

painted wall mural, installation 

of electricals, and the construction 

of computer desks, 

tables, chairs and bookshelves. 

The project, valued at over 

US$32,000.00, was supported 

by several partners of the Sandals 

Foundation who joined in 

to lend their corporate backing 

including; Scholastic Book 

Fairs who donated over 361 

books and provided a substantial 

discount towards the 

purchase of additional workbooks 

and other educational 

items for both the students and 

teachers; Tropicars/Africair 

who donated school supplies 

and toys; Dell who provided 

the computers and printers for 

purchase at a discount; and 

School Specialty who donated 

over US$8,000 in school, 

sport and art supplies. With 

the on the ground expertise, 

knowledge and support of the 

Rotary Club of Dominica and 

the Ministry of Education, the 

Foundation was able to seemlessly 

partner in this worthwhile 

endeavor to ensure the 

swift delivery of these critical 

items to the Petite Savanne 

Primary School students. 

“The Rotary Club of Dominica 

is very honoured to have 

partnered with the Sandals 

Foundation in this extremely 

worthy gesture. The people of 

Petite Savanne and especially 

the children are still very traumatized 

by their experiences, 

which drastically changed 

their lives overnight. This 

multi-purpose room is a just 

small way of bringing some 

comfort to them and showing 

them that there a lots of 

people who care about their 

wellbeing. Sincere gratitude is 

extended to the Sandals Foundation 

and the many sponsors 

who made this donation possible. 

May God continue to bless 

you richly,” said President of 

the Rotary Club of Dominica, 

Annie Edwards. 

Heidi Clarke, Director of 

Programmes for the Sandals 

Foundation, said, “It is so important, 

in times of crisis, that 

we work together with our 

neighbouring islands to help 

them with their recovery. We 

are very pleased to have partnered 

with the Rotary Club of 

Dominica to make this multipurpose 

room possible.” 

“Change, especially when 

it comes suddenly in the form 

of a natural disaster can be 

very traumatic, in particular 

for children. We hope this 

project helps to bring the children 

of Petite Savanne school 

the comfort in knowing that 

there are so many people out 

there that care, and that in time 

of crisis there will always be a 

helping hand,” she added. 

The Ministry of Education 

and Human Resource Development 

is of the view that the 

Multi-Purpose Room will enhance 

learning at the school. 

“We are extremely pleased 

with this facility, funded by 

the Sandals Foundation and 

supported by the Rotary Club 

of Dominica. I believe our students 

will realise significant 

benefits from Multi-Purpose 

Room because it will provide 

them with access to new information 

that can only add value 

to their learning experiences 

here at the Petite Savanne Primary 

School,” Chief Education 

Officer Melena Fontaine 

said.



Immigration and trade: Part One 

By Sir Ronald Sanders 

Trade has become an issue in the political 

party primaries of the US Presidential 

elections that holds lessons for the 

countries of the Caribbean Community 

(CARICOM). I note first that, as far as I 

am aware, trade has never been an issue 

in the general elections of the 15 member 

countries of CARICOM, even though 

from time to time CARICOM itself has 

been raised on the political hustings. On 

the occasions when CARICOM has been 

the subject of general election discourse, 

the focus has been on immigration when 

some politicians have sought to gain political 

visibility by climbing on the back 

of anti-immigrant sentiment. 

Interestingly in the current US political 

debate – if what transpires in the 

Republican camp can be dignified by that 

description – both immigration and trade 

have emerged as issues. 

At the extreme is Donald Trump who 

is now leading in the Republican Party 

primaries. On immigration, Trump 

wants to build a wall to stop Mexicans 

from entering the US; he wants an all-out 

ban on all Muslims entering the country; 

he blames other immigrants for “low 

wages” in the US (as if they pay themselves) 

and for taking jobs from Americans 

(even though the Americans do not 

want such jobs, mostly manual labour). 

And, of course, he blames immigrants 

for crime in the US, claiming that they 

are, among other things “rapists”. The 

fact that the vast majority of criminals in 

prison are US born and grown does not 

temper Trump’s vitriolic assertions. 

As happens when any untruth is persistently 

repeated and goes largely unchallenged 

by the media that helps to 

spread it, Trump’s untruths on immigration 

have become fact in the minds of his 

supporters whose numbers, unfortunately, 

seem to be growing. In the course of 

all this – and in the remarks he makes at 

his rallies – Trump is feeding an insurgent 

racism in the underbelly of the US, 

particularly among Ku-Klux-Klan activists 

and nazi-types. In throwing out protestors 

from his rallies and encouraging 

their manhandling – one a young, black 

woman unarmed and alone – Trump has 

declared that he would himself like “to 

punch them in the face”. 

Thankfully, in the Caribbean, even 

among the worst of the politicians who 

have played to the anti-immigrant lobby, 

the situation never quite reached the 

depths to which Trump has sunk. But, it 

is worth noting that, curiously, the convulsions 

concerning immigration in the 

Caribbean have been directed by Caribbean 

people to Caribbean people. It 

seems that immigration of others (North 

Americans and Europeans), including 

taking jobs, is more acceptable; it is immigration 

amongst Caribbean people that 

is most unpalatable. 

Let’s stick a pin on inter-Caribbean 

migration for a moment. We will return 

to it. For now, let us consider the outbursts 

on trade that have flowed from 

Donald Trump. He blames trade with 

Mexico, China, Japan, India and Vietnam 

for the loss of jobs in the US. In 

this regard, he intends to “tear-up” the 

North American Free Trade Agreement 

(NAFTA) – the main arrangement for 

trade and investment with Mexico. 

It appears to have conveniently escaped 

him that Canada (the US’ single 

largest trading partner) is also party to 

NAFTA, and that tearing-up the agreement 

will adversely affect trade with 

Canada as well. It also seems to have 

eluded his attention that NAFTA is a legally 

binding agreement with arbitration 

provisions. Further, since it is an agreement 

that exists under the umbrella of 

World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, 

that international body for setting trade 

rules might have something to say about 

it. 

Trump seems to believe that trade 

should be a one-way street for the US, 

and that if he closes or reduces trade with 

the countries he has listed, they won’t retaliate 

by buying less US goods and services. 

It also seems to have missed him 

completely that no country is compelling 

Americans to buy its goods and services, 

and no country is forcing US companies 

to locate outside the US. US consumers 

buy goods and services from other countries 

because they cost less, and US companies 

locate in other countries because 

costs of production are cheaper, including 

labour and talent. 

The fortress into which Trump wants 

to makes the US against trade and immigration 

(two things that have built the US 

economy) will quickly become a prison. 

Instead of keeping out imports and immigrants, 

it will keep in expensive goods 

and services as well as confine Americans. 

Additionally, it would set off a 

global trade war. And, as history, has 

taught, all wars of violence start from an 

economic base. 

Sadly, on the other side of the political 

divide in the party political primaries, 

Bernie Sanders of the Democratic Party 

also blames trade for loss of jobs. He 

too wants to tear-up NAFTA and all other 

trade agreements, including the Free 

Trade Agreement with Central American 

countries and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. 

All of them, he says, have cost 

cont’d on pg 13


Arrindell’s stint as ‘Governor’ comes to 

an end, but urges others to get involved 

All official responsibilities and duties 

of the Optimist International Caribbean 

District Governor 2014/15 came to 

an end last weekend at a conference and 

awards ceremony held in Mandeville 

Jamaica. 

At the ceremony Past Governor Barbara 

Arrindell from Antigua & Barbuda 

recognized outstanding Optimist members 

from across the Caribbean who had 

served with distinction at both their club 

and the district level. 

The regional arm of this International 

organization which stretches from 

Barbados to Jamaica was from October 

2014 to Sept 2015 led by Barbara Arrindell, 

Governor and Jason Gilead, District 

Secretary Treasurer. 

Arrindell is the second Antiguan & 

Barbudan to govern the Caribbean District 

in its 35-year history. 

She has been a member of her local 

club, the Optimist Club of St. John’s 

(formed on March 11 th 1992) for more 

than 21 years, serving as its president 

in 1998/9 and holding various district 

offices over the years. 

For her the most rewarding post has 

been that of Leadership Development 

Chair which allowed her to utilize her 

training skills. 

Next in line was time spent as the 

Barbara Arrindell 

first Antiguan to hold the post of District 

Secretary Treasurer in 2005/6 working 

alongside Barbadian Adrian Elcock. 

“The memories that I have collected 

while serving as District Governor will 

always be treasured” said Immediate 

Past Governor Barbara. 

“I saw true commitment to our motto 

Bringing Out the Best in Children. I 

saw children and teens in our youth 

clubs gain confidence. I saw adults 

surprise themselves as they dug deep, 

determined to make the Caribbean a 

better place.” 

“When our International President 

met with leaders of other service clubs 

in Washington last year he reported that 

although volunteer and civic groups 

continue to see a decline in membership 

he was happy to report that Optimism 

was seeing the slowest rate of decline of 

all major organizations. 

“As Optimists we look at the sunny 

side of everything so just as we celebrated 

that international fact, we in the 

Caribbean can say that the 2014/15 year 

saw the lowest rate of attrition in nine 

years, signaling for us that we are ready 

to bounce forward. 

“The organization continues to attract 

young and not so young people 

who understand that for our children to 

do well we need everyone working towards 

their success.” 

Arrindell invites everyone to get involved 

in some way. She highly recommends 

joining a local Optimist club but 

admits that the other dedicated service 

organizations are also seeking members. 

According to her, “we are all working 

towards the same purpose so we are 

not competing; rather we are providing 

options for those who are considering 

joining a service organization. 

She extends congratulations to Dianne 

Tongue of the Spirited Optimist 

Club of Wadadli and Ashaki Goodwin 

of the Optimist Club of St. John’s Antigua. 

Both ladies ended the 204/15 years 

as distinguished presidents. 


thousands of Americans to 

lose their jobs. 

There is, of course, evidence 

that factories have been 

closed and jobs have been lost 

in mid-western states of the 

US because of their lack of 

capacity to compete against 

production of similar goods 

from other countries with 

cheaper labour costs and lower 

tax rates. 

But, the jobs – real or potential 

- that have been lost in 

the vast majority of countries 

of the world that import from 

the US are far greater than 

losses in the US. 

The problem in the US is 

that, despite its great resources, 

it made very little provision 

for replacing inefficient 

companies that could not cope 

with competition, and it did 

not invest in retraining workers 

that were displaced. Even 

re-generation of towns and infrastructure 

for transportation 

was neglected. 

So, both Trump and Sanders 

have escalated a one-sided 

argument on trade for their 

political purposes – designed 

to lure both disaffected and 

supremacist Americans into 

blaming trade with selected 

foreign countries for their 

view of that they have “to 

make America great again”. 

Incidentally, India and 

Vietnam are not among the 

top 15 of the US trading partners; 

they rank well below 

Britain and Germany for instance. 

Why Trump blames 

them is consistent with his unfortunate 

racial and religious 

profiling. 

Sensibly, Hillary Clinton 

has not descended into these 

arguments which cannot stand 

up to factual analysis. 

Next week: The parallels 

with CARICOM 

Editor’s Note: The opinions 

expressed in this Op-ed are 

those of the author and do not 

necessarily reflect the views of 

Caribbean Times.



Guyana to sign on to 

COP21 Agreement 

GEORGETOWN - Minister of Natural 

Resources Raphael Trotman says 

Cabinet has agreed that Guyana will sign 

on to ratify the Paris COP21 Agreement, 

which sets out a global action plan to put 

the world on track to avoid dangerous climate 

change by limiting global warming 

to well below 2°C. 

Addressing the media at the post-Cabinet 

briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency 

on Wednesday, he said Minister of 

Foreign Affairs and Vice President Carl 

Greenidge will represent Guyana at a 

high-level signing ceremony to be convened 

at the United Nations Headquarters 

on April 22. 

He said Cabinet will prepare the instrument 

of ratification indicating that 

Guyana has completed all the necessary 

processes that signify consent to be 

bound by the agreement. 

BRIDEGTOWN - Government has announced 

a 12-month ban on the importation 

of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems 

(RPAS), also known as unmanned aerial 

vehicles or drones, effective Friday April 1. 

According to an official in the Customs & 

Excise Department, this ban would allow 

the authorities to complete a legal framework 

to govern the use of these devices and 

determine the number in operation in Barbados. 

The spokesperson said that during 

the last two years in particular, there had 

been a significant increase in the number of 

RPAS for commercial and recreational use 

being allowed entry into the country. She 

continued: “This has contributed to the unregulated 

growth of drones and the inability 

of the regulatory authorities to ascertain the 

numbers in operation.” 

Despite the positive use of drones, the 

official stated, concerns had been raised 

It will also approve Guyana’s first 

Intended Nationally Determined Contribution 

(INDC) to be submitted alongside 

the instrument of ratification. 

Guyana submitted a revised INDC to 

the United Nations Standards Coordinating 

Committee (UNSCC) in November 

2015. 

This revised INDC proposes a set of 

policies, measures and actions focusing 

on the forestry and energy sectors. 

Minister Trotman said the INDC proposes 

to implement emission reduction 

programmes in the timber and mining 

sectors that can contribute up to 48.7 

metric tonnes of carbon dioxide or its 

equivalent to the global mitigation efforts, 

while developing a 100 per cent 

renewable power supply by 2025. 

The Paris Cop21 Agreement came 

into being in December of 2015 in Paris, 

Barbados announces ban on drones 

here and internationally about the potential 

for their misuse and the risks posed to 

safety, security and privacy by their unregulated 

use. Late last year, it was announced 

in Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday that the 

Government, there, was “moving to strictly 

regulate the use of drones by introducing 

legal regulations that would make the devices 

illegal in the absence of registration 

certificates obtained from aviation authorities”. 

(Barbados Today). 

France. It was adopted by all parties to 

the United Nations Framework Convention 

on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 

December 12, 2015. 

It has been hailed as the most ambitious 

international environmental agreement 

in history. 

The Caribbean Community (CAR- 

ICOM) played a significant role in the 

crafting the agreement, with a set of 

negotiating positions articulated in the 

Barbados Declaration of Climate Change 

which was later adopted by the CAR- 

ICOM Heads of Government in July of 

2015. (Caribbean360). 

Duo caught with 65lbs 

of cocaine at airport 

NASSAU - Two men have 

been arrested following a major 

drug bust at the Lynden 

Pindling International Airport 

on Wednesday night. Police 

report that shortly after 6pm, 

two adult males travelling to 

the United States were detained 

by United States Customs 

and Border Patrol officials 

at the US Pre-Clearance 

Departure Lounge following 

the discovery of just over 65 

pounds of cocaine in their 

luggage. The men were handed 

over to the police and are 

expected to appear in court 

at a later date to be formally 

charged. (Tribune242).


St. Lucia turns National Mental Wellness Centre solar 

CASTRIES - The National 

Mental Wellness Centre 

is now operating on renewable 

energy, saving the 

country thousands of dollars 

monthly in electricity cost. 

The hospital, which provides 

specialised services 

to citizen suffering with 

mental illness, now, has the 

capacity to generate twenty-five 

kilowatts (25 kW) of 

renewable energy. 

It is a major milestone 

development, which supports 

continued operations 

at the hospital in the event 

of a national power outage. 

The increase in the 

country`s renewable energy 

capacity from photovoltaic 

(PV) is consistent with 

Government`s aim to increase 

generation of renewable 

energy penetration into 

the national grid by 35% by 

the year 2020. 

This will also help reduce 

the government’s 

overall cost in electricity. 

Currently the island has 

approximately 500kW of 

installed solar PV capacity. 

The system at the National 

Mental Wellness 

Centre was funded by the 

Republic of China/Taiwan 

under the Sustainable Energy 

from Concept to Action 

Project, as part of the Solar 

Energy Component. 

It is a demonstration of 

the commitment by The 

Government of Saint Lucia 

to equip important state 

institutions to support the 

country`s renewable energy 

transition while importantly 

ROSEAU - The sexual grooming 

of a minor may become illegal on the 

books in Dominica as the matter has 

been recommended in a draft legislation 

to the government by a committee 

set up to review the Sexual Offenses 

Act of 1998. 

Legal consultant, Ray Harris, who 

heads the committee, said that provision 

deals with the grooming of a minor 

under 16 years for sexual activity. 

According to him, anyone under 16 

cannot give consent. 

He explained the recommendation: 

“You know when an adult may start 

having a liaison with a young person be 

it by e-mail, be it by telephone, encourage 

them and meeting them somewhere 

to involve themselves in unlawful sexual 

activity, because remember a person 

under 16 cannot consent anyhow. We 

have now suggested and recommended 

and drafted a provision dealing with 

grooming, sexual grooming of a minor 

who is under 16 years of age.” 

He also said the committee recommended 

voyeurism since this has not 

been covered under the laws of Dominica 

in the past. 

According to the dictionary, voyeurism 

is obtaining sexual gratification 

from observing unsuspecting individuals 

who are partly undressed, naked, or 

engaged in sexual acts or in a broader 

sense the habitual seeking sexual stimulation 

by visual means. 

Harris stated that the committee has 

recommended the mandatory reporting 

maintaining critical services 

to most vulnerable citizens 

in times of need. 

On February 26 this 

year, Government officially 

launched a 25kW PV system 

at the National Energy 

Management Organisation 

(NEMO). 

The official launching 

of the Solar PV System will 

take place at the auditorium 

of the National Mental 

Wellness Centre this morning. 

(St Lucia News Online). 

Sexual grooming of a minor may become illegal in Dominica 

of suspected abuse of minors by “certain 

people in certain positions of authority.” 

“If a medical person has checked a 

young lady who is 12 years old and the 

young lady clearly had sex or is even 

pregnant, clearly an offense was committed,” 

he stated. He noted that after 

much debate the committee made the 

recommendation for mandatory reporting 

vis-à-vis, “certain people in authority, 

be it teachers, be it people in authority.” 

The recommendations and a draft 

bill have been forwarded to the office 

of Attorney General and will be sent 

to parliament for approvals which will 

make them law in Dominica. (Dominica 

News Online).



Liberia shutters Red Cross amid inquest into Ebola spending 

DUBLIN - Ireland has entered new 

constitutional territory after its parliament 

failed to elect a prime minister 

and government following last month’s 

inconclusive general election. 

The Dáil, the Irish parliament, sat 

on Thursday to try to elect a Taoiseach 

and agree on the formation of a fresh 

coalition but incumbent Enda Kenny 

fell far short of the votes needed to become 

prime minister and form an administration. 

The outgoing Fine Gael-Labour 

coalition government, which imposed 

austerity measures in Ireland during 

the economic crisis, was punished by 

voters in the election, losing its majority 

despite a now fast-growing economy 

MONROVIA - Police 

shuttered the offices of the 

Liberian branch of the Red 

Cross on Thursday; days after 

the president dismissed 

its board of directors amid 

an investigation into the use 

of funds destined for the 

fight against recently ended 

Ebola outbreak. 

Some 11,300 people died 

during the two-year epidemic, 

the worst on record, in 

Liberia, Sierra Leone and 

Guinea. 

Over 4,800 of them died 

in Liberia, which was declared 

free of active transmission 

of the virus in January 

but only after a massive 

influx of foreign assistance 

including the deployment of 

U.S. soldiers to the West African 

nation. 

While President Ellen 

Johnson Sirleaf’s office 

gave no reason for the decision 

announced on Tuesday 

to dismiss the Red Cross’s 

board, the organisation has 

faced a string of graft accusations 

in the local press. 

The board rejected the 

decision claiming that the 

president had overstepped 

her authority, and senior 

managers were holding a 

meeting at the main office in 

the capital Monrovia when 

police arrived on Thursday. 

The Liberian Red Cross’s 

secretary general and head 

of programs were both suspended 

in November, accused 

of misusing $1.8 million 

in donor funds. Neither 

they nor the board members 

suspended this week have 

responded publicly to graft 

charges. 

The International Federation 

of Red Cross and Red 

Crescent Societies (IFRC) 

carried out an audit of its 

member organisation in Liberia 

last year. 

“We found some irregularities 

and that led to an 

investigation,” said Benoit 

Matsha-Carpentier, a Geneva-based 

spokesman for 

the IFRC. He said that donors 

had given money to 

the IFRC that it had in turn 

redistributed to the Liberian 

Red Cross. 

The irregularities revealed 

by the audit concerned 

the use of funds 

intended for the Ebola response, 

he said, but declined 

to give further details. 

The results of the investigation 

have not yet been 

made public. The closure 

of the offices will have no 

effect on the operations of 

the International Committee 

of the Red Cross (ICRC), 

which also operates in Liberia 

but is a separate organization. 

(Reuters). 

Ireland’s parliament fails to elect a prime minister 

and falling unemployment rate. 

On Thursday, as Kenny failed to 

amass the 79 votes needed to be reappointed 

Taoiseach, new figures revealed 

that Ireland’s growth rate for 

2016 would be close to 8% the highest 

in the European Union. 

The figures were not so good for 

Kenny, who managed to scrape up only 

57 votes from his party, Fine Gael, and 

Labour. Fine Gael lost 26 seats in the 

26 February election and now has 50. 

Negotiations to break the deadlock 

and form a government are now likely 

to continue at least until Easter. 

Kenny will remain as caretaker 

Taoiseach for St Patrick’s Day on 17 

March, and is expected to take the salute 

during commemorations at the end 

of the month for the centenary of the 

Easter Rising against British rule. (The 

Guardian).


Brazilian town fighting Zika with more mosquitoes 

BRAZIL - The town of Piracicaba 

is taking a very different approach in 

its battle against Zika it is fighting mosquitoes 

with more mosquitoes. 

“We release 800,000 mosquitoes a 

week in this neighborhood,” biologist 

Cecilia Kosmann told CBS News. But 

the mosquitoes that Kosmann releases 

are genetically modified by a British 

firm, Oxitec, to contain a lethal gene. 

In order to survive, the engineered insects 

need an antibiotic, which they 

WASHINGTON - The 

Pentagon says it captured 

a chemical weapons expert 

from the so-called Islamic 

State (IS) and obtained key 

information for air strikes. 

A spokesman said Sulayman 

Dawud al-Bakkar, also 

known as Abu Daoud, had 

been caught in Iraq in February. 

The Pentagon said the 

capture had “removed a 

key IS leader from the battlefield”. 

The US says it has 

begun more aggressive operations 

against IS in Iraq. 

Daoud divulged details 

about IS chemical weapons 

facilities and production, as 

well as the people involved 

receive while they’re raised in the lab. 

Then they’re released so they will mate 

in the wild. 

Outside the lab, without the antibiotic, 

they die, as do their offspring who 

carry the same lethal gene. 

“If we fight the mosquito, we are 

fighting every disease that that mosquito 

can transmit,” Kosmann explained. 

The Aedes aegypti mosquito can 

breed in almost any standing water, 

drainage ditches, the bottom of a trash 

bag, a simple puddle so breeding sites 

are constantly monitored. A second 

gene alteration makes the modified 

larvae fluorescent, so they’re easy to 

count. 

The company says the larvae population 

in the area dropped by 82% 

in less than a year. “We know we can 

eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito,” 

said Dr. Peter Hotez, one of the 

leading tropical disease experts in the 

world. Dr. Hotez says an aggressive 

in it, Pentagon spokesman 

Peter Cook said. 

The information led to 

multiple coalition air strikes 

that disrupted IS’s ability to 

manufacture chemical weapons, 

he said. Daoud has now 

been transferred into Iraqi 

government custody, Mr 

Cook said. 

US media reported on 

Wednesday the February arrest 

of an IS chemical weapons 

expert, but named him 

as Sleiman Daoud al-Afari. 

They quoted Iraqi and US 

sources as saying he was a 

specialist in chemical and 

biological weapons for 

Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi 

international campaign led to the near 

eradication of Aedes aegypti back in 

the 1970’s. 

But the species has rebounded. “I 

think we can evaluate these new technologies. 

It’s worth evaluating them at 

scale, but that should not stop efforts 

right now using traditional methods,” 

Dr. Hotez said. 

Key West, Florida has applied to the 

FDA to conduct a test using the very 

same modified mosquitoes, although 

it’s run into opposition from local residents 

who say it’s too soon to understand 

the environmental impact. (CBS 

News). 

US claims capture of IS chemical weapons expert 

leader overthrown by the US 

invasion in 2003. 

He told interrogators 

how IS would load mustard 

gas into shells, the US sources 

told the New York Times. 

At the time, the Pentagon 

refused to confirm the arrest. 

Last month, sources at 

the global chemical watchdog, 

the Organisation for 

the Prohibition of Chemical 

Weapons (OPCW), announced 

that sulphur mustard 

had been used last year 

in an attack on Kurdish forces 

in Iraq blamed on IS. If 

confirmed, it would be the 

first known use of chemical 

weapons in Iraq since the 

fall of Saddam. (BBC).



Trouble-hit liquor baron flees India owing $1 billion 

The heavily indebted Indian liquor 

baron Vijay Mallya has fled the country, 

the Supreme Court heard on Wednesday, 

as banks lined up to try to recover 

more than $1 billion in unpaid loans. 

A group of mainly state-run banks had 

asked the Supreme Court to prevent the 

flamboyant businessman, who is known 

for his extravagant lifestyle, from quitting 

India. But the attorney general said 

the 60-year-old had left on March 2 after 

stepping down as chairman of United 

Spirits, the Indian arm of Britain’s 

Diageo, following allegations of financial 

lapses. 

“Agencies and the CBI (Central 

Bureau of Investigation) have told me 

he left the country on the second of 

March,” said Mukul Rohatgi, representing 

the banks in court. “Please ask 

Mr. Mallya to come back and appear in 

the Supreme Court and disclose all his 

assets.” Rohatgi said the state was not 

looking to take action against Mallya, 

who is thought to be in London, but 

wanted him to settle debts worth more 

MOSCOW - Russian 

emergency officials say 

that an explosion of natural 

gas in a Moscow apartment 

building has left one person 

dead and injured 13 others. 

Thursday’s explosion 

than $1.3 billion. 

The court said it would issue a notice 

seeking a response from the businessman 

on the repayment of the loans. Repeated 

calls by AFP to Mallya’s mobile 

and those of his representatives went unanswered 

on Wednesday. He announced 

last month he planned to move to Britain 

to be closer to his children. But in 

an emailed statement to media on Sunday 

he said he had no plans to run away 

from his creditors and was hurt the press 

was painting him “as an absconder”. 

Mallya was known as the “King of 

Good Times” before the 2012 collapse 

of his Kingfisher Airlines, which left 

thousands of workers unemployed and 

millions of dollars in unpaid bills. As 

his liquor business flourished during 

the early 2000s he diversified into other 

areas and in 2005 launched Kingfisher 

Airlines, named after his company’s 

best-known beer. 

The profile of the man once nicknamed 

“India’s Richard Branson” rose 

further when he acquired a stake in the 

Force India F1 team and ownership of 

the Royal Challengers Bangalore cricket 

hit an apartment on the 8th 

floor of a 14-storey building 

in eastern Moscow and 

a fire has engulfed several 

other apartments, according 

to the Emergencies Ministry. 

team. His fortune reached a peak of $1.6 

billion in 2007, according to Forbes. But 

he was unable to stop Kingfisher from 

haemorrhaging cash, and following a 

pilots’ strike over unpaid wages the airline 

was grounded in 2012 having never 

made a profit. 

The consortium, led by the State 

Bank of India, had also sought Mallya’s 

arrest and confiscation of his passport. 

But the debt recovery tribunal and the 

High Court in southern India, where 

a separate petition has also been filed, 

have yet to rule on those requests. 

On Monday an Indian tribunal had 

blocked the $75 million severance payout 

from Diageo to Mallya at the request 

of the banks that are seeking the money. 

But on Wednesday a spokesman for Diageo 

told AFP that it had already paid 

$40 million to Mallya as part of the deal. 

“We paid Mallya 40 million US dollars 

immediately as part of the 75-million 

dollars agreement he signed with our 

company on February 25,” Kirsty King, 

a London-based Diageo spokesman 

said. (AFP). 

Gas explosion in Moscow kills 1, injures 13 

Tass news agency quoted 

medical officials as saying 

that one person has died 

of injuries and 13 others 

have been hospitalized with 

burns. 

Most apartment buildings 

in Russia are supplied 

with natural gas for cooking. 

The cause of Tuesday’s 

explosion wasn’t immediately 

clear and was being 

investigated. (Fox News).


Thursday’s Sudoku Solution 

S U D O K U 

CROSSWORD 

Across 

1. Word with boy or tiger 

6. Ethereal 

10. Unsurpassed 

14. Occupied 

15. DeWitt Clinton’s canal 

16. Spot for Columbus 

17. Staunch position taken by 

the networks? 

20. Shoemaker’s tool 

21. Greek arrow-shooter 

22. Asian peninsula 

23. Ditch 

25. Homer’s dad 

27. Some are personal 

28. Groups of twenty 

30. Black flies, e.g. 

32. Astral flareup 

33. Tipsy committee head? 

37. Signs, to the superstitious 

39. The whole nine yards 

40. Painter de Toulouse-Lautrec 

41. Graph of employment figures? 

43. Shortly, to Hamlet 

44. Plotter’s line, perhaps 

45. Brawny 

47. Exec’s degree, perhaps 

50. Asian holiday 

51. Merry-go-round figure, to a 

child 

52. Suspect’s explanation 

54. Stereo 

55. Oohs’ partners 

58. President’s health advisors? 

62. It might get pickled 

63. Unwanted drip 

64. West African capital 

65. Church wing 

66. Track circuits 

67. On one’s guard 

Down 

1. Middle Eastern bread 

2. Over again 

3. Stops, as a speeder 

4. Language suffix 

5. Longfellow hero 

6. Tortoise immortalizer 

7. The eyes have it 

8. Bravo or Grande 

9. Hankering 

10. Kansas pooch 

11. Mitchell creation 

12. Hungered 

13. Orders to a jerk? 

18. Funds for the golden yrs. 

19. Charcoal drawing, e.g. 

24. Irritable 

25. It can be right 

26. Scornful outburst 

28. Everest topper 

29. ‘’Catch a Falling Star’’ 

crooner 

30. Fish organs 

31. Fleeces 

33. Entrenched routine 

34. Pain in the neck 

35. Golfer’s choice 

36. Bathtub detritus 

38. It might make your hair 

stand on end 

42. Log splitter 

45. Where you might rest easy 

46. Crow-related, say 

47. Poisonous snake 

48. Four-letter-word eliminator 

49. Helpers 

51. Folks from the boonies 

53. Mosquito’s calling card 

54. Junker of a car 

56. German gentleman 

57. Spend the night 

59. Ailing 

60. Teachers’ org. 

61. What a game may break



Today’s weather forecast 

Antigua and Barbuda 

Partly cloudy skies during the 

morning hours will give way to occasional 

showers in the afternoon. 

High - 80ºF/27ºC 

Low - 71ºF/ 22ºC 

Wind: North East 18 mph 

Sunrise 6.19 am; Sunset 6.17 pm 

Thursday’s Crossword Solution 

HOROSCOPE 

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). 

Over the years you’ve built 

protective layers around your 

heart, which is only smart, 

wise and prudent. However, 

it’s also inconvenient — that 

is, unless you also build a door, 

give it a lock and give someone 

else the key. 

ARIES (March 21-April 19). 

Yesterday you felt determined; 

today the motivation wanes, 

which is actually a good thing! 

It will help you move to the 

next ideas, which will be 

packed with potential energy. 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). 

No one is better at being you 

than you are. It’s funny how 

people will try to be, though. 

Today they’ll tell you what you 

should do, how you should feel 

and whom you should love. 

It’s ridiculous really. Your best 

move? Ignore them. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It 

feels like the doors of the banquet 

of life have been opened 

to you on what just happens 

to be the first day of your new 

diet. Believe it or not, it may be 

quite satisfying to take in the 

visual promise without “eating,” 

for now. 

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). 

You’re now ready to explore 

territory that’s been previously 

off-limits or unknown. The 

boldness you feel will ebb 

and flow through this process, 

so make the most of today’s 

surge! 

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The 

person who dares to poke at 

that little piece of insecurity 

you’ve had hidden away is in 

for a big response. Most likely, 

that response will be laughter! 

Even if it’s uncomfortable at 

first, it feels good to be seen 

more completely. 

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). 

You and a certain someone 

used to be an item and now 

you’re hardly even a thing. 

That’s the natural path of some 

relationships. You’ll work extra 

hard now to make sure one 

special tie doesn’t wind up in 

the same category. 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 

21). You’re in unknown territory, 

but don’t let this stop you 

from moving. The only way 

to learn this area is to travel 

through it. If you have to go 

slowly, it’s fine — as long as 

you go. 

CANCER (June 22-July 22). 

When sweet nothings are whispered 

between lovers, don’t 

forget that it’s the “nothings” 

that make the sweetness possible. 

You’ll enjoy the buoyancy 

of anchor-less relationships. 

Love levitates. 

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Extremely 

creative people such as 

you have been known to find it 

difficult to stick to one idea and 

see it through to the end. That’s 

why teaming with a Taurus, 

Virgo or Capricorn will be a 

very wise move today. 

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 

19). If you can prove your superiority 

over your former self, 

this makes you very happy. 

That’s why, whatever is asked 

of you, you’ll give more and 

you’ll give better than you did 

before. 

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 

18). Truly, your abilities are 

developing beyond your expectations. 

You will tend to get 

most things right from the start 

today. Don’t let this spoil you, 

though. It’s not a fluke, but it’s 

better if you treat it as if it were 

one.


Grenades beat Empire 

4-2 to reach finals 

By Vanroy Burnes 

Chester Hughes Grenades beat Cool & Smooth 

Empire 4 goals to 2 on Wednesday in the second 

semi-finals of the ABCA/Cool Smooth Champions 

League. This sets up a clash with Cool & Smooth, 

KFC/ADELCO Green Bay Hoppers in Sunday’s final. 

However, a win for Hoppers will be the end of the 

championship, with Hoppers capturing their second 

title and winning $2500.00, but a win for Grenades 

could result in a second meeting of both teams next 

Wednesday. The rules of the League states that a team 

must lose twice to be out; and so far, Hoppers have not 

lost a match, while Grenades have lost once. 

In the match on Wednesday, Zacchaeus Polius 

scored for Grenades in the 29 th and 40 th minute, while 

Kyle Edwards scored in the 57 th minute and Christopher 

Harvey in the 80 th minute. Cool & Smooth Empire 

goals came from the boot of Randolph Burton in 

the 43rd minute and Trevor Tonge in the 76 th minute. 

Powell in, Bonner out as Leeward 

Islands Hurricanes face Guyana 


The Leeward Islands 

Hurricanes selectors have included 

opening West Indies 

and Leeward Islands opening 

batsman Kieron Powell 

in the team to play against 

the Guyana Jaguars, in the 

9 th round of matches of the 

West Indies Cricket Board 

PCL 4 Day competition. 

The match is being 

played at the Sir Vivian 

Richards Stadium starting 

on Friday. 

Powell missed the entire 

season last year; he is playing 

his first match at this level 

for two years. 

However, while Powell is 

in the team, regular captain 

Nkrumah Bonner will miss 

the match after he flew back 

to Jamaica on Wednesday 

due to family matters. 

Orlando Peters will captain 

the team, with Jahmar 

Hamilton as his deputy for 

this match. 

Manager of the Leeward 

Islands Hurricanes, Hugh 

Gore, said that Tyrone Williams 

Jr. has been drafted 

into the team as emergency 

fielder due to the absence of 

Bonner. 

Head Coach of the Leeward 

Islands Hurricanes 

Sweet BBBs trump Gunners, 

Pitbulls fall to Ojays II 

Reginald Benjamin, said it 

will not be a repeat of the 

first round encounter when 

the team lost to Guyana Jaguars 

by an innings and 35 

runs within 3 days. 

Benjamin said we had 

them, 21 for 3 in their innings 

and, allowed them to 

get away. 

By Carlena Knight 

Ottos Sweet BBBs continue 

to set their sights on a promotion 

spot to Division One, 

after trouncing Max Fernandez 

Gunners, 110-55 at Ottos on 

Wednesday night. 

The Division Two matchup 

saw Omarie Chambers and 

Akeem Davis come alive with 

34 points, 5 assists and 5 steals 

and 32 points, 11 rebounds and 

4 assists respectively for the 

victors. 

Dane Mellanson chipped in 

with 17 points. Gunners suffered 

their second defeat in two 

outings, with Keddy Martin 

recording 15 points and 6 rebounds. 

Pitbulls found themselves on 

the losing end as they fell under 

to F and G Trading Cuties Ovals 

Ojays ‘2’, 53 -76 at ‘The Cage’ 

also known as the Ovals basketball 

court. 

Ojays were led by Kevorn 

Cornwall with 27 points and 13 

rebounds. He was assisted by 

Shamari Bascus with 13 points 

and 7 rebounds and, Deon 

Charles with 11 points and 5 rebounds. 

Jamarie Hastings also of 

Ojays had a game high 17 rebounds. 

Javon Simon of Pitbull 

had 26 points, 17 rebounds and 

5 steals in a losing effort. 

For Rent 

He noted that he is 

looking for a win this time 

around, because we have 

players who can do the job. 

The Leeward Islands 

Hurricanes are at the bottom 

of the standings with 

39 points, while the Guyana 

Jaguars leads with 125 

points. 

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Friday 11th March 2016


Arsenal beat Man United in Europa League 

Liverpool took control of their Europa 

League last-16 tie as they swept aside a desperately 

poor Manchester United at Anfield. 

Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated this first 

European meeting between the two Premier 

League giants in a thunderous atmosphere - 

and the German manager’s only disappointment 

will be that the tie is not already settled. 

Daniel Sturridge gave Liverpool a 

15th-minute lead from the spot after Memphis 

Depay fouled Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto 

Firmino added a second from close 

range with 17 minutes left. 

United did not create a single chance and 

Afghanistan booked a 

winner-takes-all showdown 

with Zimbabwe on Saturday 

for the right to play 

against the top-tier nations 

at the World Twenty20 after 

a six-wicket victory over 

Hong Kong in Nagpur. 

Asghar Stanikzai’s men 

chased down a 117 victory 

target with 12 balls to spare 

to claim their second Group 

B triumph and condemn 

Hong Kong to an early exit. 

Zimbabwe also has a 100% 

record in the group and this 

weekend’s clash determines 

who will grab the only qualifying 

spot for the second 

round, where Sri Lanka, 

South Africa, England and 

West Indies lie in wait. 

Hong Kong were once 

again undone by the Afghanistan 

off-spinner Mohammad 

Nabi, who took a 

format-best four for 17 when 

the teams met last month in 

an Asia Cup qualifier. He 

followed it up with another 

only the brilliance of goalkeeper David de 

Gea has kept Liverpool in range as he produced 

a succession of magnificent saves. 

(BBC). 

Afghanistan book World 

T20 clash with Zimbabwe 

four-wicket haul as Hong 

Kong was restricted to 116 

for six after deciding to bat 

first. 

The opener Ryan Campbell 

made 27 off 24 balls 

before he was unfortunately 

bowled, via a deflection off 

his helmet, by Nabi, who 

made significant inroads 

into the batting lineup. Anshuman 

Rath accrued 28 not 

out but Hong Kong’s score 

seemed well below par. 

Thanks to the efforts of 

Mohammad Shahzad (41) 

and Noor Ali Zadran (35), 

Afghanistan reached 68 

without loss at the halfway 

point of their pursuit. 

While neither batsman 

could see the job through, 

Afghanistan were never 

in danger of folding and 

Najibullah Zadran (17no) 

crunched three successive 

fours in the 18th over to 

see them over the line. (The 

Guardian). 

Turf Club focusing 

on major upgrades 

for race track 


Neil Cochrane, the newly 

re-elected President of 

the Antigua Turf Club, said 

his executive will focus on 

making major upgrades to 

the race track over the next 

two years. Cochrane said 

that one of the immediate 

tasks ahead is the importation 

of a new fleet of horses. 

He suggests that such 

will improve the quality of 

the meets, while acknowledging 

that the fans spend 

their scarce funds to come 

to these meets and, we are 

duty bound to give them 

quality races. 

The executive attained 

the mandate from the Turf 

Club members, and Cochrane 

said that they will 

proceed to secure needed 

funds to get horse racing as 

the number one sport in Antigua 

& Barbuda. 

He conceded that there 

are some infrastructural developments 

that are needed. 

The old upstairs structure 

that sits in the middle of the 

Garden is on the radar and 

there are some other dilapidated 

structures which will 

also be upgraded. These 

upgrades Cochrane noted, 

will make patrons more 

comfortable. The changes 

can boost economic activity, 

not only for horse racing 

days, but on a daily basis.



Liberta gets new sporting complex building 

Joanna Paris 

The village of Liberta 

now boasts a brand new 

‘Sporting Complex’ building. 

The initiative was made 

possible through the kind 

generosity of the founders 

and trustees of the Maria 

Holder Memorial Trust, 

which originates in Barbados. 

According to the developers, 

it took US $500,000 

to construct the building. 

On Thursday, in the 

presence of several guests 

including: The Governor 

General of Antigua and Barbuda, 

His Excellency Sir 

Rodney Williams; Minister 

of Sports and Member of 

Parliament for the St. Paul’s 

Constituency, the Hon. E.P. 

Chet Greene; President of 

the Liberta Sports Club and 

former West Indies cricketer, 

Kenneth Benjamin; Founder 

of the Maria Holder Memorial 

Trust, Christopher Holder; 

members of the board of 

trustees and other specially 

invited guests, the Liberta 

Sporting Complex was officially 

opened. 

During the opening ceremony, 

Christopher Holder 

explained that his mother 

was a person who believed 

in making contributions to 

the community. 

Holder said that his 

mother passed away in 2004 

in Barbados and shortly after 

her death, he decided to 

establish the Trust to honour 

her memory. Holder said that 

the Trust has contributed to 

many developments around 

the Caribbean. 

Asked about his connection 

to the twin island 

state, Holder indicated that 

one of the members of the 

board through business connections 

here, was able to 

identify a need for the sports 

complex based on meetings 

with Kenneth Benjamin. 

Holder expressed that 

the edifice is vital to sports 

and youth development on a 

whole. “This is a project that 

we felt is important not only 

just for the country, but for 

this beautiful community of 

Liberta. 

The building will provide 

a social atmosphere 

for this area, where persons 

can watch the games and relax 

and build relationships”, 

Holder explained. 

The Liberta Sports Club 

President is very thankful for 

the donation of the complex. 

He added that the building 

is a necessity since it will 

provide a number of useful 

amenities to include bathrooms 

and changing rooms. 

Benjamin will also be 

working along with the 

founders to develop a full 

program of classes as part of 

an after school curriculum. 

Through the complex, it 

will also allow persons to 

gain additional skills and 

play a role in the advancement 

of sports in Antigua 

and Barbuda. 

Minister Greene, welcomes 

having the facility. 

He indicated that the new 

building will be an initiative 

for other sporting clubs 

to follow, to further propel 

sporting projects in the 

country. 

Greene stated that he is 

eager to work along with the 

founders of the Maria Holder 

Memorial Trust Fund to develop 

other projects around 

the island. 

“This first class amenity 

will provide training 

opportunities in any sports 

discipline which falls under 

the Liberta Sports Club. We 

wish also to see more developments 

of sports clubs 

in other communities. The 

aim really is to revive sports 

in this country,” Greene expressed. 

Following the official 

ceremony, the ribbon was 

cut, signaling the building 

open. 

Members of the community 

were in awe at the 

professional amenities and, 

are hopeful that it will play 

an integral part in sports and 

social development.

Caribbean Times 67th issue - Friday March 11th 2016

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