Connect with us

TCI News

TCI: Alleged ‘fishy business’ at PNP primaries

Published

on

Devon Williams

#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, September 15, 2019 — The Progressive National Party on Tuesday held in-party elections and in one opinion it was the most democratic process the Turks and Caicos has ever seen from a political machine; to another some actions during the one-day run-off were ‘fishy’.

Devon Williams describes himself as a political pundit and questioned the validity of the PNP as the 2020 General Elections of the TCI approach.  Williams, once known as a staunch supporter of the party is critical of the trajectory of the ship, which is captained by party elder, Washington Misick.

“Well I know they’ve been adding names to the list.  The chairman added a lot of names to the list by himself.  They wrote them on so I don’t take the process serious after that.  If you have a list, you have a list and if you add names to the list then we don’t have a list.  I don’t know what is going to come of it but I don’t take it serious.”

PNP HEADQUARTERS ON SUPER TUESDAY

Mr. Williams, who had not voted and said he would not be voting in the run-offs gave us the comments within earshot of PNP supporters gathered at the site despite the rainy weather.  The interview took place on the steps of the party’s headquarters on airport road in Providenciales. 

“I saw them writing names on the list.  That’s not right.  If you go to vote and you see people writing names on the list, what are you gonna accept… you can’t accept that,” he said.

Williams believes the entire day was an idea contrived in contravention of the constitution of the PNP.

Magnetic Media was summoned to Progress House on the party election day, dubbed: Super Tuesday.  The accusation was that names were being added to the delegate voting list manually.  The alleged action was against the publicly announced rules or party delegate only voting; rules which asked those interested in casting a ballot to pre-register and which used as a criterion, one already being on the national electors list.

Llewelyn “Blow” Basden disputed the comment with, “No name is being added to the list after the deadline.  After the deadline there was no names added, only if there was a spell check the name would be advanced,” Basden said this applied to “Nominees or Voters; electors.”

Yet, on cell phone video provided to Magnetic Media, we see Mr. Basden vociferously arguing the hand written addition of names to the list.  ‘Blow’ was speaking loudly to the party leader in the short clip, clearly furious about the alleged manual addition of a name.

We asked “Blow” to explain his apparent change of heart but there was no comment.

ADVERTISEMENT

From the Party, Magnetic Media is told there will be a news conference on Wednesday where this issue will be addressed.

In another argument on a purported PNP constitutional breach, there is pending litigation which accuses the Progressive National Party of establishing its new leadership against the party’s constitutionally outlined process.  The member for Grand Turk North, George Lightbourne confirmed to us that indeed he issued a letter saying as much to his own Progressive National Party.  Today, Lightbourne is the candidate in the PNP primaries for Grand Turk North with the least support; he only managed to secure two votes.

The party has been silent on the Lightbourne lawsuit and this latest accusation of impropriety at the September 10 primaries. 

Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos 

Published

on

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

 

 

Continue Reading

Government

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DELEGATION VISITS WEST MIDLANDS AMBULANCE SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM, UK

Published

on

Providenciales, Tuesday 30 April, 2024 – A delegation from the Ministry of Health and Human Services, recently undertook a pivotal visit to the West Midlands Ambulance Service in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The visit, which took place from April 21st to April 23rd, 2024, was held under the esteemed patronage of the Ambassador of Health of the British Overseas Territories, Professor Ian Cumming.

Led by Permanent Secretary Mrs. Desiree Lewis OBE, the delegation included Ms. Renessa Williams, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, and Mr. Andy Brijmohansingh, Director of Emergency Medical Services. This strategic meeting was an integral part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to enhance emergency services within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

During the visit, representatives from the West Midlands Ambulance Service provided comprehensive insights into their operations, sharing valuable expertise and offering collaborative initiatives for the development of the TCIs emergency services. Discussions encompassed various aspects, including training and mentoring programs tailored to empower emergency personnel within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“The visit marked a significant step forward in our strategy for the advancement of emergency services,” stated Mrs. Desiree Lewis OBE. “We are deeply grateful for the generosity and support extended by the West Midlands Ambulance Service, and we look forward to implementing the insights gained to further enhance emergency care within our country. Permanent Secretary Lewis also expressed the Ministry of Health’s gratitude to Professor Ian Cumming for his assistance by way of arranging the visit.”

Mr. Andy Brijmohansingh, Director of Emergency Medical Services for the Turks and Caicos Islands, underscored the importance of the discussions, emphasizing the poignant exchange of ideas and the potential for meaningful collaborations which signifies a commitment to improving emergency services and ensuring the safety and well-being of the residents of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The Ministry of Health and Human Services expresses its sincere appreciation to the West Midlands Ambulance Service for their warm hospitality and invaluable contributions during the visit.

For additional information, please visit the Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

TCI Court

Eight Months facing Police Accusations and Court, now Pedro Grant Exonerated

Published

on

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

With no evidence to support their claim, the prosecution has dropped their case against Pedro Jose Alfredo Grant Gallon, the Dominican Republic citizen who was accused of impersonating an officer in September 2023.

The Police, who publicized the arrest and charge, have not yet commented on the matter despite Magnetic Media queries.

Grant, for his part, has always vehemently denied the accusations that he was impersonating an officer and described the circumstances surrounding his arrest as unfair.

He contends that on the evening of July 13, 2023, he was being followed by a strange driver, concerned, he waited until the man pulled off at a bar, then took his license plate number and called the police, but police never came to help Grant. He alleges that the next time he saw them, they came with handcuffs to arrest him. In a search, police found his IDs which included his documentation for humanitarian work with the International Diplomatic Alliance (IDA) and police lights attached to his vehicle. In explaining the possession of those lights, Grant said he told officers that they had been in his car from his time in the Dominican Republic where he was involved in law enforcement.

Since that time, Grant has maintained several facts:

  • The Police did not have a warrant to search his home and car;
  • The Police took his documents including passports and IDs, one of which was issued by the IDA, and to date have not returned them despite being court-ordered to do so;
  • The Police intimidated his wife with threats of deportation;
  • He never showed any ID, flashing lights at the man following him, or claimed to be an officer.

Police have steadfastly refused to comment on the case despite numerous queries into the bizarre circumstances, even with serious allegations like intimidation against them. Grant was officially charged with Impersonating an Officer in September but IDA Head Jerrod Crockett told Magnetic Media despite seizing documents from Grant to support their case, no one even called the organization to see if they were real or fake.

Now, when called to provide evidence to the court as to why they arrested and charged the resident, the police and DPPs office drew a complete blank as Wilkie Arthur, Magnetic Media Court Correspondent, confirmed it was a lack of evidence that got the case dropped.

Despite this win serious damage has been done Grant claims, describing his life as a ‘living hell’ and ‘miserable’ since the accusations were publicized.

The IDA says it has been affected as well.

“That really put a hurt on us for the last six to eight months now because of accusations of fraudulent documents that everybody else has seen. We’re trying to prove our legitimacy now because you guys can’t verify any documents— before you put everything out there as public information,” Crockett said of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF)

The president also told our news team they had lost thousands of dollars in funding.

Following the closure of the case we reached out again to police to find out on what grounds Grant had been arrested and charged but no response was issued.

 

 

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING