TCI News
TCI: PDM Gov’t did not deliver for Leeward & Long Bay says MP Missick
December 10, 2020 – The People’s Democratic Movement is accused by Member of Parliament for Leeward and Long Bay of neglecting Electoral District 5.
Akierra Missick, during a PNP Drive-Thru Rally on Friday November 27 bemoaned the PDM Administration for failing to deliver on a beautification project, limping along in the road improvement development and discontinuing the potable water plan started by the Progressive National Party (PNP )prior to departing office, she said.
“Nothing hurt my heart more than during the idle of our pandemic so many of you called me because you were struggling to access water, potable water to your homes because we were home a lot more than we would normally be and the tanks were running out a lot faster than normal. And to find out that our water project which started in mid-2016 just wasn’t completed by this administration. And so I want to say to you Leeward and Long Bay, you know, on day one – because I’ve already did my research, I already have the plans, I already have everything phased out like I did the last time – we will recommence the installation of quality access to city water here in the Leeward ad Long Bay constituency.”
The Member was also disappointed about the green park, which went from incomplete to ignored.
“In the last four years, I will ask you do you think it was fair that the people in Leeward Palms and those in Leeward who may use the Leeward Green Park, should wait until 2020 for this government to restart the project and seek to complete the park? Four years, four years without a safe place for your family, for the young people in the constituency for all of us to exercise, to walk in in a safe environment,” said Misick to tooting horns at the Long Bay Storage Parking lot.
The former Minister of Education and Youth said she would ensure side-walk infrastructure at the Long Bay High School zone and promised to improve safety by increasing the CCTV installations.
Misick, an attorney asked for a third time as representative for the district, offering her idea for economic empowerment of Turks and Caicos Islanders.
“To ensure the scale is tipped in your balance as a Turks and Caicos Islander to benefit from this level of tourism development in these islands. Whether that is from reduced rates in business licenses, reduced rates on the taxation that applies to the numbers we will ensure that you are not only able to benefit from this portion of the industry but it is time for us to become leaders in this industry and I am hoping you will work with me to ensure this happens.”
The Member for ED 5 slammed the PDM’s Covid-19 stimulus payout as lacking understanding about how an economy grows and lacking understanding of what citizens are facing amidst the pandemic which has driven economies – including Turks and Caicos – into a deep recession.
“You have a party or a government in place with less restrictions, full access to money and as my brother Jamell says $154 million dollars in the bank and yet they only giving you, if you get your documents in time for the December 5 deadline, six whole hundred dollars. Six whole hundred dollars…” Misick added: “You are worth six hundred dollars, I didn’t say it, they did! Their actions; their policies, their decisions.”
Her message obviously resonated with attendees of the rally; in island vernacular the incumbent for the district said: “On the form you gatta say, if it’s for rent, if it’s for grocery, if it’s for mortgage, if it’s for this and that. That ain’t none of ya business give me the money or you’re not. It’s really that simple. You say I qualified for it, give it to me.”
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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