TCI News
TCI: Caicos Express returns to South & Premier explains what $20 million budgeted funds mean for ‘fishing capital’
#Providenciales, June 4, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Nine million in budget year 2018-2019 and another $11 million in this new fiscal year will mean radical refurbishment in South Caicos, and residents turned out in healthy numbers to hear about plans for restoration of the island.
Premier Sharlene Robinson is the minister responsible for finance and island administration. An Office of the Premier media release explained that the plan for South Caicos were spelled out.
“South Caicos Airport Tower, Clinic, Community Center, Wellness Center, Conch Ground Bay Port works. She explained that these works totalled some $8m to $9m in government investment. South Caicos in the 2019/20 TCIG Budget, received another large portion of funds allocated for infrastructural works with approximately $11 million committed in budget 2019/20 to the following critical projects: The Airport Terminal, South Caicos Airport fencing, the Morgue, the Regatta Village and Wharf.”
South Caicos residents and natives have been vocal about their disappointment in the rundown state of the island, particularly in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. Photographs and comments about public facilities including the clinic, the morgue, the wharf, the airport and the Regatta Village have made headlines several times since the storms 20 months ago.
“Premier Robinson in her updates as the Minister of Finance expressed that about $20m have been allocated for repair and other works over her Government’s 3 Budgets. It was announced that these works are all progressing and residents received confirmation that sporting equipment should be coming soon for the schools.”
South Caicos residents have also been concerned about banking facilities and airline connectivity and reliability. It was announced that both are being worked on by the PDM Administration.
“It was confirmed that TCIG is actively engaging with banking institutions for the return banking services to South Caicos. Caicos Express Airways won the subsidy bid to provide airlift services into and out of South Caicos. Those services to begin 1 June 2019. It was noted that flight times are being discussed to better accommodate both residents and visitors to the island.”
Minister of health Edwin Astwood addressed management of the pharmacy, construction of a new morgue and maintenance of the island’s clinic.
As the ‘fishing capital’ of the country, South Caicos residents were informed that there are studies and reports coming to boost performance of the industry. Minister of Tourism, with responsibility for maritime and fisheries, Ralph Higgs was at the meeting.
“… announced that Department of Environment and Coastal Resources officials will be making a visit in the coming weeks for public consultations on how they can improve the industry and share data on Lobster, Conch and Fish stocks. It was noted that after the hurricanes, the Lobster Open Season performed better than expected. A new Environmental Bill which will speak specifically to legislation to support a sustainable conch and lobster export industry will be taken to the House of Assembly in the coming months.”
South Caicos islanders were told that a new youth officer is to be assigned and the cadet corps is to be re-established in the island.
Additionally, the Office of the Premier reported that: “The Airport fencing will return to tender due to no bids the first round of tenders will be posted in July 2019. The repairs of the Library, the construction of the Fish House and canal works will be included in next year’s budget.”
Today there are two public meetings; Salt Cay at 11 am and Grand Turk at 6:30pm.
#magneticmedianews
#caicosexpressreturnstosouthcaicos
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent
#TurksandCaicos, April 25, 2024 – He was busted at the Howard Hamilton Providenciales International Airport on Friday, April 16, 2024.
He allegedly had in his luggage four (4) rounds of 6.5mm ammunition on his departure to his homeland in Oklahoma in the United States of America (USA).
Ryan Watson and his wife were arrested and placed into police lock up. Both were later granted police bail, and upon return to police station the Monday after the couple’s arrest, the husband alone was charged by detective Police Constable Kimberlee Markland for
unlawful possession of the four rounds of ammunition.
Watson was escorted to court on Tuesday, April 23rd, placed before the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin and remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until his sufficiency hearing on June 7, this (2024) year.
His counsel, Mr. Oliver Smith KC and his junior assistant Mrs. Kimone Tennant immediately sought bail for him in the Supreme Court which was heard the following day (Wednesday April 24) before her Ladyship Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and was granted bail, without hassle in the amount or $15,000.00 cash or surety.
The Crown, in the person of senior public prosecutor Ms. Tassja Mitchell did not oppose bail.
Magnetic Media can report that once again on the afternoon of the Tuesday April 24th, after the accused RYAN TYLER WATSON, 41 was remanded by the Magistrate’s court, the U.S. Embassy issued an warning to it’s citizens and travelers to carefully check their bags when traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) as TCI authorities are strictly enforcing firearm and ammunition laws and if found you could go to prison for 12 years.
A real question of great concern and public importance is: should the TCI courts sentence tourists to the full mandatory minimum of 12 years imprisonment for simple possession firearm and/or ammunition.
The succinct answer is: Yes!
The Court of Appeal, just last month said in its written judgment that “ALL PERSONS,” including tourist/visitors must go to prison if found guilty or pleas guilty to firearm and ammunition offences.
However, there remains the concern about how much time in prison a judge should give a visitor regardless of the existence of exceptional circumstances.
Should the judge imprison a visitor to the territory, who may have been wrongly informed, for example, the full mandatory minimum term or must a reduced prison term be imposed.
If TCI judges start to give less than the mandatory minimum to tourists/visitors, it is being strong and widely advocated by senior defense attorneys that the same must apply to local or residents of these Islands, who may also present exceptional circumstances.
Arguments about the equity in delivery of justice is what drove the question to the Court of Appeal late in 2023. The decision came this past February.
‘We cannot find ourselves sentencing tourists regardless of exceptional circumstances to lesser sentences, and when those same exceptional circumstances are found in local cases, it’s being ignored by our judges.’
Human Rights Attorney, Sheena Mair has on more than one occasion argued this point; including in firearm and ammunition bail applications. She would put the very same judges and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution on the spot by reminding the judges and the prosecutors that precedent has been set.
‘You’ve just granted bail to a tourist for firearm and ammunition but now here’s a local person, same charge but because he’s a local he can’t get bail? He has to be remanded pending a trial that could take years before it’s heard?’
Mair has valiantly outlined the wrong in this and clearly stated this practice is “not fair” and it’s “not proper administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Ms. Mair further complained that tourists would plea guilty to possession of firearm and ammunition and be released on bail pending sentencing but as for a local, he or she has to wait on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending sentencing.
The attorney criticizes the optics of such decisions and is on record reminding the Judge that the Court of Appeal has already set out that the law applies to everyone; visitors and locals alike.
A police statement issued Wednesday April 24 informs: “Today (April 24th), Mr. Watson appeared in the Supreme Court and, following a bail application, was granted $15,000 bail with the following conditions:
1) Not travel out of TCI without the court’s permission.
2) Surrender his passport and all other travel documents to the court
3) Report to Grace Bay Police Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 am-4 pm,
4) Reside at the given address in Providenciales; any address change will be provided before the court.”
The American from Oklahoma whose story is trending in the US and has been carried by leading news networks was joined by a host of loved ones at the Courthouse.
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