DOMINICA NEWS ONLINE: The government of Antigua and Barbuda is facing legal action over the arrest of Dominica businessman Dowlin Alexander who was arrested upon his arrival at the V.C Bird International Airport last week Friday.
Police in Antigua had arrested Alexander based on a notice issued by INTERPOL on behalf of the French government.
Alexander, through his attorney Wendel Robinson, is seeking damages which could amount to as much as ECD$200.000.00
Robinson told reporters that his client was wrongfully arrested and was exposed to the most inhumane situation while in the holding cell in St John’s Antigua.
The lawsuit filed is against the Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney and Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Steadroy Benjamin.
“So, it is a breach of his liberty, breach of this freedom of movement, false imprisonment, I would say arbitrary arrest, being arrested and wasn’t given any reason, oral reason or any reason as to why he’s been arrested or detained. No documents were served upon him during the 48 hours he was detained and also there has been a breach of his treaty rights. We are members of the OECS.” Attorney Robinson said.
He said “according to policies, everybody within the OECS moves freely among the OECS and remember, he’s not convicted of an offense. He’s not yet charged with an offense. If the French authorities charged him, that is in the jurisdiction of the French authorities but he is not in the jurisdiction of the French authorities. He was in the jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda, and Antigua and Barbuda had no justification for detaining him”.
Where the INTERPOL Red Notice is concerned, Robinson explained that Antigua and Barbuda had no right to arrest him based on the French government’s request
“INTERPOL Red Notice serves as an alert to the countries concerned, but it does not automatically give anybody the right to have the person arrested as the case may be. It is just a notice informing that this person is a person of interest wanted perhaps by another territory, and [in] the jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda.”
“So, there should be a monitoring process. Now if the French government or the French authorities want him arrested, then there’s a process which has to be done,” he said
Meanwhile Alexander in an affidavit said that he arrived at V.C Bird on a LIAT flight at 6 p.m. after he cleared immigration and proceeded towards the Customs Department to collect his luggage.
He said once that was done, a “fat man dressed in plain clothes” took him back to the immigration department where he overheard something about a Red Notice. The man was later identified as a police officer.
Alexander was immediately transported to the police station in St Johns.
“All I was told by Sergeant Chapman at CID is that I am wanted by overseas law enforcement for drug trafficking. Nothing else was said to me nor was I given any documents; except for a list of items taken from me and being held by the police in CID along with my Dominican passport…”
“There are no blankets, no pillows, and no mattress available to sleep on, except for empty benches. I hardly got any sleep. Human feces [is] all over the floor in the bathroom and there is no running water. The toilets are not even flushing,” he said in the statement. Alexander, who is well known in Dominica, said that he was given no reason why he was being detained and was never shown any Red Notice or any other document.
“No warrant for my arrest was issued to me by the police officer. My human rights are being infringed upon,”
He said the police in Antigua did not offer him anything to eat but in any case, the conditions around him were not conducive to eating.
“I cannot eat in the cells because of the stench from the feces in the nearby bathroom. No hand sanitizers are available and no mask is given to me to block out the scent. It is the worst experience I ever endured. I have never been convicted of any offense in Antigua and as recently as a few weeks ago I was in Antigua,” he said
Adding, “Furthermore, my rights as a native of an island within the OECS, being born in Dominica, was further infringed under the relevant regional tactics which govern members of the OECS regarding freedom of movement.”
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what type of “businessman” is he?
Ah! The quality of criminal intelligence gathering, and dissemination seem wilfully rife with staid mediocrity of Colonial norm: as in so many instances that beg for regret. Any person of any social strata can be apprehended and detained for questioning; after thus been advised and, vouched for upon law of caution of self incrimination, for the specific allotted time as prescribed in sovereign constitutional law of the land: regardless of treaty affiliations abridging sovereign space condensed for the benefit of administrative jurisdiction and, safety concerns of its citizenry, with reasonable perimeters of Care, Custody & Control.
true they can be detain for questioning but not held two days without charging them on something that’s the different you can’t hold someone in jail so long if you can’t find any evidence you have to let that person go not hold them 48 hrs
The norm is (72 hrs) in most sovereign jurisdiction of civilized Democratic States. Beyond that time The “AG” must seek the consent of the court for further detainment upon the preponderance of the evidence proffered: such as to warrant further and, continue detainment as might be subjectively prescribed by the Adjudicator in or, out of chamber: as per the gravity of such and, all alleged offence/ offences or, breach of sovereign space and law.
Wendel Robinson u were once the commissioner of police right? I presume under your tenure you have had people detained after a red notice was issued from interpol… shouldn’t your client be suing the French government instead? Is it bc u can’t and by default u want to sue the country that feeds u? I guess u wouldn’t understand that because u wasn’t born here! All I have to say is good luck with that cause u nah get 1 red cent!
Welcome to Cartoon Country, Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬
Wendell Robinson should understand that the condition of the holding cells at the Police Station have not degraded after he left the Police Service.
East case to win.
The government should settle and not waste the courts time.
As usual immigration and the police took action assuming they have authority that they do not have.
Easy case to win like the Barbuda land case?
Know your power and stay in your lane. Even if that man is a criminal abroad, such a matter has to be handled in a particular manner, you don’t just lock up people so, and even if Wendel did that in his time, tables turn now. The raw fact now is that he is a reputable lawyer and has an immense knowledge of this Babylonian system and its rattish, devious and spiteful runnings.
Ah! The quality of criminal intelligence gathering, and dissemination seem wilfully rife with staid mediocrity of Colonial norm: as in so many instances that beg for regret. Any person of any social strata can be apprehended and detained for questioning; after thus been advised and, vouched for upon law of caution of self incrimination, for the specific allotted time as prescribed in sovereign constitutional law of the land: regardless of treaty affiliations abridging sovereign space condensed for the benefit of administrative jurisdiction and, safety concerns of its citizenry, with reasonable perimeters of Care, Custody & Control.
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