Former St. Kitts PM faces new legal challenge in Dominica diplomatic passport row

Dr. Douglas is embroiled in a court matter in his country

Former Prime Minister and Opposition Leader of St. Kitts is facing another legal challenge of remaining a parliamentarian while he holds a Dominican diplomatic passport.

The Government of St. Kitts had already filed a legal challenge of his eligibility to continue as a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly and late last week another of the same nature was filed by Cuthbert Mills, a registered voter in Constituency #6.

When the matter appeared in court last week, Angela Sookoo-Bobb, one of the attorneys on Dr. Douglas’ legal team, explained to WINN FM that the “hearing was to deal with four different types of applications which were brought by Mr. Mills through his counsel.”

“The first argument took place on Mr. Mills’ application for his matter and the Attorney General’s challenge to be joined and heard together or one immediately after the other,” she stated. “We strenuously opposed that application on the basis that the constitution and the section of the constitution which allows a challenge to be made to a members qualification to remain in the house does not contemplate a voter being able to join or have a claim heard at the same time as the Attorney General. The second application which came up was an application for expert evidence. Both parties agreed that an expert on Dominican law should be called as a witness in the matter. Mr. Mills sort to put in a candidate which we indicated does not qualify as an expert on the matters which the court has to determine.”

She added that what the court has to determine is based on Dominica law of whether or not Dr. Douglas “is in foreign allegiance with Dominica.”

“And so the type of lawyer that is required is not allowed which practices in family law, mediation or has a Masters in Corporate Law, but what is required is an Attorney-at-Law that practices in Dominica who is ok with citizenship law, constitutional law, and immigration law,” she stated. “The third application which was brought by Mr. Mills was an application to have Dr. Douglas’ response to his claim, struck-out on the basis that it was filed approximately two days late. The reason for the late filing was because Dr. Douglas travelled overseas and based on where he was located, could not have the affidavit sworn in time. That was communicated to local counsel for Mr. Mills and Mr. Mills’ counsel agreed that Dr. Douglas’ application could’ve been filed late. However, they thereafter sought to have it struck-out, so we opposed it on basis that the legal profession continues to be a noble one, there had been no prejudice to the document being filed two days late and in any event, it was filed based on counsel for Mr. Mills indicating that they had no objections given the difficulties which Dr. Douglas was having.”

She explained further to WINN FM that “fourth application was an application for Dr. Douglas to produce the subject’s diplomatic passport for the purposes of inspection by Mr. Mills and we once again opposed that application, because in these matters, the law does not compel the defendant to produce any sort of evidence to assist a claimant in his case.”

“Mr. Mills, as well, we submitted, has absolutely no right to view Dr. Douglas’ travel documents or to be informed of where Dr. Douglas travels and when he travelled. After those applications were argued, the Court Justice Ward reserved his decision on those applications and Queens’ Counsel Delano Bart who is also a member of Dr. Douglas’ team, made a request for a formal application to be filed by us to have Mr. Mills’ entire claim struck-out and so we will be filing that claim on Monday morning and that application to have Mr. Mills entire claim struck-out will be heard on July 6th,” she stated.

Sookoo-Bobb said that Dr. Douglas’ team will apply to have Mills’ challenge struck out as it is nothing more that political nuisance.

Meanwhile she said the judge has not yet reached a decision in the challenge brought by the Government of St. Kitts.

“That matter is currently adjourned because there was some argument on whether or not we actually need an expert witness to come to court and present expert evidence,” she explained. “Our team continues to maintain that there must be an expert witness which presents what Dominican law is on foreign allegiance. The Attorney General’s team however, has taken the view that because it’s one Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, the High Court in St. Kitts, can take judicial notes of what the laws are of Dominica. That was argued on the 30th of May and Justice Ward has reserved his decision in relation to that.”

In the past, Dr. Douglas has not denied holding a Dominican diplomatic passport saying it was given to him out of courtesy.

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15 Comments

  1. Questions without answers
    June 20, 2018

    @ Jheri Curl

    This Diplomatic Passport from Dominica was apparently issued to Mr. Douglas after he had lost the election in St. Kitts and had become Leader of the Opposition there. It appears that he was experiencing difficulties with the new government which allegedly refused to allow him that to which he was entitled, a Kitician Diplomatic Passport. https://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/102857
    He was then issued with a Dominican one by our government without disclosure to the Dominican people and with his citizenship listed on it (allegedly) as Dominican. The question therefore is why would his citizenship be listed as Dominican if he were not, who listed it as such and why, and why was this issuance done without disclosure? Also, when issuing such a passport, is there not a responsibility placed on the immigration authority in Dominica as well as the officer signing the document, to verify the person’s nationality and other info before signing and issuing this precious…

  2. Fran
    June 20, 2018

    Given out of courtesy? What nonsense is that? Does he have familial ties to Dominica? Anybody wanting a passport from a country to which they have zero ties i.e. a citizen or family origin is up to no good in my humble opinion.

  3. Neville
    June 20, 2018

    Skerrit, we want answers. Why is this man in possession of a Dominican diplomatic passport? Who approved the issue of this passport and how much did he have to pay? The time of you hiding and avoid answering our questions is over. Will will hold you accountable and you will NOT win the next election!!

  4. Danziger
    June 19, 2018

    Mine all you buisness and leave Denzil ALONE. YOU all have US,French,British our Beaupere and more passports. Veyé zafer zor langue MALPALENT KI ZOR YE, Le zor encient ce America the Big apple zor ka allez accouché on Visa pour zenfant zor trouver American passport. Trump on my feet kay bon ba zor ban de MACQUELLE et COMAR.

  5. PakerDog
    June 19, 2018

    We need to stop fighting each other, we are one people one United Caribbean.

  6. nng1332
    June 19, 2018

    I am just going to yawn in this corner for as we know in the Caribbean it’s like the truth never comes to light NOR sets people free. So I’m just going to skim this article and move on to Dear Bella.

  7. jamie
    June 19, 2018

    Kittians hats of to you all get him out of Parliament,Dominica is a corrupt country,let him go and run for election,Skerrit will make sure he gets a seat.

  8. Ibo France
    June 19, 2018

    Dominican passports are not Mr. Skerrit’s personal property for him to dish out arbitrarily to his partners in crime. The country has not been apprised as to the reason(s) Dr. Douglas was granted this most precious national asset. The Press and the people should demand answers from the PM. He did the very same with the National birds. Does this man think that he’s not answerable to the citizens for decisions he takes regarding the people’s valuables? Amazingly, there are some who will fiercely defend this man’s abnoxious and dictatorial behavior. When one suggests that Skerrit should vacate office, some of his supporters openly declare that the PM is irreplaceable. Really? No man is indispensable, the cemetery is full of indispensable people. No one person has done so much harm to the international image of Dominica than the current occupant in the Prime Minister’s office.

  9. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    June 19, 2018

    No expert on Dominica Law is needed to determine that Denzil is a Dominican, since he claim to be a Dominican born! It is never a difficult to prove dishonesty and  corruption in people when they are indeed corrupted.

    A person cannot be born in two place; the same as one cannot be in two different places at the same time. That is the claim Denzil, and whosoever in Dominica sold or gave him that Dominica diplomatic passport states: “place of birth Dominica.” Right now Denzil is a man without a country!

    He should not be allowed to reside in Dominica, since he lied (purger)  himself when he claimed he is a Dominican born!

    They can kick him out of St. Kitts too, but where will he go since it seems the man does not know where he was born!

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

  10. LaPlaine Observer
    June 19, 2018

    If someone holds a foreign Passport, there’s no question this individual bears allegiance that country. Our sovereignty is diminished as a result of all these Passport sales.

  11. marie-claire R Skerrit
    June 19, 2018

    Send him to Jail. Make an example of him that these people in power arent above the law.

    • Man bite dogs
      June 19, 2018

      Agree the same should be done to Lennox the conman Linton.

      • marie-claire R Skerrit
        June 20, 2018

        And your mother too @Man bite dogs. She need to take a big Jail for the things she have done creating your sorry behind. Bye

  12. Fear No More
    June 19, 2018

    The million $$$$$ question: What is Denzil Douglas doing with Dominica’s diplomatic passport? To do what? To pass through immigration flashing that diplomatic passport?

    Is Denzil our diplomat, Trade Rep., DLP’s operative/consultant on Passport selling and Marketing? What exactly because Dominicans are in the dark.

    Did Denzil give anybody, in or out of DLP Gov’t anything in return for our diplomatic passport and diplomatic immunity?

    Meanwhile IT is COMING !!!! It is Coming my people. What the patriots have been warning you all about.

    Have you heard of the draconian, ANTI-TERRORISM Law to be rushed and passed in Dominica’s Parliament just now, in fact much sooner than all you thought.?

    Post hurricane Maria the ropes of injustice, victimization, hatred, greed, nepotism, selfishness are tightening. Power, absolute POWER is Corrupting the few, who think they could control the many.

    Let it be known that the “POWER in PEOPLE is GREATER than the PEOPLE in…

    • Jheri Curl
      June 19, 2018

      as PM of SKB he already had a Diplomatic Passport.
      not sure why he’d need 2

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