Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan has spoken against persons who seek to try matters which are before the courts in the media.
Addressing a Red Day celebration activity at Macoucherie Beach yesterday, Astaphan told supporters that many prominent persons of society have been discussing matters that are before the courts on the radio and other media outlets. This, he said, is prejudicial to his client’s (Roosevelt Skerrit) case and infringing on his constitutional rights.
“You have people on the Q95…disguised as media people, disguised as genuine Dominicans, all of whom are hidden supporters of the Dominica Freedom Party and United Workers Party. But of concern to me is that prominent members of society, former political leaders, former judges, former acting chief justices are pontificating on issues in a manner prejudicial to the position of Roosevelt Skerrit when matters are before the courts,” he stated.
“Roosevelt Skerrit, like every citizen of this state, has the right to a fair trial and not through trial by radio, not through electronic leeching or radio, because none of the Q95 …none of the UWP… none of the dying Freedom Party… and these fraudsters who pretend they are Dominicans are going to judge and convict Roosevelt Skerrit on the radio so long as I and you are alive,” he said.
He added, “We live in a country where the rule of law says that we must not prejudge and we must not interfere with the administration of justice and we must not bring the administration of justice into disrepute.”
Astaphan said that several politicians on the opposition side have served in leadership governmental positions for years as dual citizens in the past.
“There were members of the Dominica Freedom Party who sat down in that parliament and who sat down in that cabinet holding citizenship in other countries and said nothing for 10 years and 15 years. They are members of the United Workers Party. Peter Carbon, Ron Green, that were American citizens for years swore the same declaration, sat in the same parliament, sat in the same cabinet and said nothing and those former political leaders, those former judges, those former chief justices, said nothing,” he stated.
“Yet they all over the Caribbean and radio saying that if the allegations are true Skerrit will resign. Skerrit will not resign! Skerrit is not going to resign! Skerrit will never resign! So put that in your pipe and smoke it!” he stated on the platform.
Talking about trial by media and he is at a public gathering talking about the case. ” The PM shall not resign”- if that is not promoting the case in public what is not ?
READ WHAT TONY SAID!! AGAIN>>>>>>
Astaphan told supporters that many prominent persons of society have been discussing matters that are before the courts on the radio and other media outlets. This, he said, is prejudicial to his client’s (Roosevelt Skerrit) case and infringing on his constitutional rights.
INFRINGING ON HIS {THE PM} CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS?????
I never knew your client respected the constitution?? If he did he would not have been in this situation to begin with!!
Also… TONY!! what are you??? A lawyer? A politician? I mean your conduct is a very strange one. You’re behaving like you’re a deputy PM or something!! WE DO NOT NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU TONY. You have plenty time to be heard IN COURT!!!
lol so true
Tony Astaphan is an embarrassment to every young attorney out there. A shame !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has absolutely no moral fiber. He never deserved to be a Senior Counsel but then again it is the members of the Dominica Bar Association that recommended him for that position that I blame. Absolutely shameful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My dear pm, be strong u are in our preyers.
-)
Well, the same Tony Astaphans attacked Magistrate Behanzin because he was due to rule on the Alexis Bubbles case becase Heather felix-Evans tried to force him off the case! Hypocracy at its best! This magistrate have been non political on the Bench, and show no signs of being influencenced or intimidated by anyone!
Senior Counsel,
I am on your side full square. But i do have a bit of difficulty with you having doen the same or similar thing inthe past. Roosevelt Skerrit, my dear Prime Minister like everybody else deserves to be tried fairly and squarely. He is also enttitled to take advantage of wahetevr opportunity in the law that extwends to him. Itis his rights so to do. Let the chips fall where they may.
Let all of us take a page from the book of Alixk Lawrence. he fights his cases between the four walls of the courts – never on radio. Has he won all his cases? Certainly not, but he has a goo dreputation. senior Counsel stop allowing the DON C to lure you to comment on things that are better said and argued in the court. That is where it mattters.The public lynching of Roosevelt Skerrit is meant for oone purpose. To stir mayhem, and confusion in Dominica.
What an Jack ***!
Is Christmas Season all about politic? I am wondering what this country has come too.
Why are you only finding your voice now? What about the constant, non-stop politicking on Q95?
I will refrain from calling you biased.
THE PEOPLE NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED AND SO DO U. WE ALL NEED THE FACTS BUT I GUESS YOU DON’T.
Is that the same person who’s on Kairi with Saverin on Saturday nights malagning each and everybody who speaks against his puppet?
tony astaphan who the hell to you think you are,your family is not from dominica,you all came to dominica years ago and fooled my ancestors but your day will come.if you knew that these other guys were citizens of other countries you should have done your job.dominicans that have not traveled do not know better about evil ppl like you but the will see your true colors soon.the dark days are coming.
Now I know why skerret don’t like the US. The man lawyer is an Arab. lol
I know why the US don’t like us. We are black. lol
Good point!! I am a US citizen so I can’t complain.
WHICH PLANET ARE YOU ON. WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT. PLEASE, PLEASE COME AGAIN.
I AM A BLACK US CITIZEN.
Insults, Insults, insults… Stop it … Yes a lot of former parliamentarians had dual citizenship and served and they never said anything about it . Ye they never said anything about it .. Yes they never said anything about it.
Now the committee for bringing down Roosevelt Skerrit is making a lot of noise and angering the people yes angering the people. Those who started – Paparazi . they ain’t sleeping in the night … They ain’t sleeping in the night. Planning , scheming has made this a national issue. those who are sufferring from LOPS and “Want of Power by all means” have forgotten about the “Supreme Master”. Yes we all will answer … Someone will question us … Why did you make my people angry… Yes we will answer for instigating anger, hatred.
Stop it the matter is before the courts … Let the Court and the Father be the final judge.. Remember a lot of parliamentarians had dual citizenship.. Yes they had dual citizenship. When we dig a pit for our brother, most times we fall in it as well. Remember this … Don’t look at bringing down your bro when you can be accused of the same thing. We should all repent and ask the Lord for his forgiveness. He is just and merciful to forgive us .. yes us .. yes all of us.
The Father is love and he will do what is best for our nation – Dominica. The Father has a way of bringing out the folly of men for all to see.
So what’s your point? This BS should never stop? Skeritt may be a darn good PM but he broke the law….maybe also…so do we pardon him again? Close our eyes? Look the other way? Or pretend nothing happened?
Come on…Grow up, Dominicans…
Tony Astaphan is just a big liar and will say and do anything to protect Skerrit and his (Tony’s) personal interest which he benefits immensely from. I do not know about Ron Green but I know for sure that Carbon onlg became a citizen of the US after he left politics. Tony must stop lying to the poor and illiterate Dominicans that cannot tell the difference between black ink and blue ink. In the midst of the so called prosperity that they have been boasting of, how many of the people have gotten any better or at list got a job? Instead they (big boys of the DLP) have gotten very rich, some who had nothing before 2000 have gotton very rich while the poor have to constantly go to them to eat bread.
I am helping Lennox and team to get people into the UWP camp, are your from Marigot?
No, I am not power hungry just speaking the truth as I see it and know it. I am a lover of Dominica and justice and will do all I can to protect justice. FYI, I am not depending on red clinic neither am I in love with UWP or Freedom as I demonstrated last election in 2009
We love our PM and our Poppet, Eat all your Heart out and wait for 2015 when we will take the 3 seats all you have. Go and do all you homework for the next election to tell us what all u can do for our country. will and come again. Is Labour we want
The P.M. needes our prayers, and he will get them! With supporters tlike these he does not need any enemies
Just wait and see. As soon as Skerrit looses his case he will throw him under the bus. In politics there are no permanent friends, just permanent interests. Go Tony go,, go Ton Ton go.
TONY YOU MUST HAVE ATE OF DRUNK SOMETHING WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER BECAUSE TO ME,YOU SEEM TO BE GOING MAD!!! SKERRIT DIDN’T LISTEN TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE DUMB,FOOLISH,INCOMPETENT OR TO QUOTE FRANK BARON “THE ARAB LAWYER”.
“Yet they all over the Caribbean and radio saying that if the allegations are true Skerrit will resign. Skerrit will not resign! Skerrit is not going to resign! Skerrit will never resign! So put that in your pipe and smoke it!”
Lennox and Don Christopher please investigate these statement….is that against my constitution
I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT IS HE RELY MAD??? TALKING ABOUT
SHOW’S LORD HAVE MERCY ON DOMINICA”.
I MEAN WHAT TONY IS TALKING ABOUT TALK SHOW’S SHAME ON HIM FOR A, QC ?
“And in the event Skerrit resigns or is forced to give up that seat we makin la guerre for our beloved prime minister…”
You happy Tony? Is that what you want for our fair land….?
Cyril, good to hear that common sense voice again! You are one of the few, who is blessed with the ability to see the woods through the trees! As long as there is life there is hope my friend!
He added, “We live in a country where the rule of law says that we must not prejudge and we must not interfere with the administration of justice and we must not bring the administration of justice into disrepute.”
Is this the same law that cannot stop the fraudulent PM from taking office Mr arab man.
Your people were the first to enslave our people in Afrika befor the europeans we will not let you do it again.
@ Nac Vibes, No need to use race here.
Tony is a Dominican just like you and me. He may have grown up under a different household, but you can not say he is not a Dominican.
Refute his points/claims on facts not race…that is dissapointing
You are just showing how shallow your level of reasoning is.It is not because you do not agree with Tony’s opinion you have to slang on his race. If you did not know he is a born Dominican and have contributed much more to the development of DA than you will ever be able to .
And you expect people to follow you and the other UWP Jokers when you can’t even stick to the issue being discussed.You all guys are just PATHETIC FAILURES.
The same few disgruntled People are making all the noise day after day but the silent majority are on Skerrit side!!!
Tony, you’re the laugh of the day!!!
Is this the same gentleman,masquerading as a corpulent rabbit, judging and demonizing people on public media, whose political affiliations or pronouncements he does not like? Is this the “split personality” of a self appointed jester to the court of a king that increasingly “hath not clothes”?
I doubt it, more a clever ploy to prepare a defence before the court that his leader can not now expect to have a fair trail as he has already been “tried & judged” in public and the case should therefore be abandoned. Watch this space.
You biased fool. Why don’t you shut up!!! So you have no issues with what Lennox et al is doing but is quick to attack Tony? What about Don Christopher’s comments? I didn’t hear you critique that. We know the true colours of people like you Cassandra and guess what? The same bunch of BLUE LOOSERS filled with envy and jealousy of one man!!! Too bad it is not going to get you anywhere!!!!
– Thank God, we still have freedom of speech/expression and I shall decide whom to critique or not.
– The only time I’m blue is when I’m sad, like I’m now. Sad, because the young man for whom I had such high hopes succumbed so quickly to the temptations of the fleshpots and the sycophants, who stroke his vulnerable ego to make him believe he is indeed invincible and on a special mission!
– I was happy about the demise of the U.W.P. in 2005.The voters made their feelings known
,unequivocally. But this does not mean that I have to condone every wrong that is committed in the name of the labour party.
– you assume that since I critique Tony Astaphan I automatically must be a supporter of the opposition. Wrong on all counts! There are quite a few Dominicans that are unhappy with the current state of affairs, labour party members not excluded!
TRUE TALK….
YOU FULL OF BS…LOOSER..
it..seems like anyone who speaks impartiality is against the Labor Party…..
Tony not making sense………….
And in the event Skerrit resigns or is forced to give up that seat we makin la guerre for our beloved prime minister…
cuz fact is we shall not be moved!
Not by no court, no party no nuffing
allu looking for riot in Dominica.
You know that is a real ignorant comment right? So you would rather a civil war to break out in Dominica just so that a politician don’t give up his seat? You know that the real definition of politician is “a lair and thief, that will do anything to gain your trust then use that same trust to take advantage of you” right.
stewie (family guy) behave yourself
Aye yow,, mister cyaa be stewie, maybe some other retarded character but not Stewie! he looks more like a Poppet!!!!! Poppet! Poppet! Tony De Swiper!