Alleged passport scam trial in limbo

An alleged passport scam court case involving an attorney and four other persons has been thrown into limbo after a magistrate recused herself from the matter.

Lawyer Bernard Wiltshire, Lindon Marie, Nash Mitchell, Kimana James and Harolda Henry are before the courts on several charges of forgery, conspiracy to sell Dominican passports to unknown individuals and deception.

Chief Magistrate Evelina Baptiste and Magistrate Ossie Lewis have already recused themselves from the matter on the basis of personal reasons.

Magistrate Candia Carrette-George announced on Tuesday in court that she was recusing herself from the case based on a request made by Wiltshire on May 12.

At that time, Wiltshire had asked George to recuse herself because she is the daughter of then Top Cop Cyril Carrette and he was not comfortable with her presiding because the case was against the state.

The case was adjourned to October 29 and uncertainty now cloud the matter.

The alleged scam occurred between August 25, 2005 and March 31, 2011 and it is reported that that 40 forged passports have been identified by police.

All the accused are on bail and if found guilty they could serve a maximum of 25 years imprisonment.

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38 Comments

  1. jojo
    August 20, 2012

    you know the thing i cannot understand is that how a criminal get a passport from the immigration department? they are the ones who are issuing passport to the public at alarge and should realise the type of people who apply for the passport are not of african decent or dominicans. before a dominican citizen come with a little mistake they always seeing it and having us go get all kind of affidavits and statutory declaration spending money we donot have and there they allowing foreigners to go by getting our passport free of charge putting us in problem with the world at large. i suspect THE PASSPORT SCAM STARTED RIGHT AT THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE. THEY SO DO NOT LIKE THE INNOCENT LAWYER ACCUSED AND WANTED TO DESTROY HIM THAT THEY DID NOT REALISE THAT THE CAN OF WORMS THEY OPEN WOULD OF CRAWL OUT OF THE CAN AND INTO THEIR GARDEN. PEOPLE, DO UNTO ORDERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO UNTO YOU. TAKE WARNING AND STOP ALL THIS NONSENCE IN THIS NATURE ISLAND OF OUR. :cry:

  2. pedroito
    August 15, 2012

    get a life no Judge no majistrate will sit on another Lawyer. it is the blue code of silence to swear to protect one anoder . dat case will die.

  3. john doe
    August 15, 2012

    if it mas me or my mum popers there would be a hearing and up to jail but is their bone jean

  4. Rastar-Marn
    August 15, 2012

    But allyou not ready yet,,, A magistrate cannot make a decision on a Case I done tell allyou already is Judges dat can make decision on cases,,,

    That case must be taken to a Judge!!!

  5. Observer
    August 14, 2012

    So much for justice. Two magistrates already reclused themselves and a request is made for a third magistrate to recluse herself on the filmsy ground that her father was Chief Cop when the men were charged. I wonder how many others (Eddy, Ron, Spaggs etc) should have asked for that particular magistrate to recluse because her father was Chief Cop when they were arrested and charged. How many magistrates do we have in Dominica? My information suggests we have only two others left including an attorney volunteer magistrate. What a great strategy to prevent any trial whatsoever. . They know the system well.

    • iiiiii
      August 14, 2012

      coming to think of it…how many magistrates that country have nah????

      Let me see if the others will pull out!
      who will do the job when no one wants to do it?
      does that mean case dismissed????

      I never see more

      DA WAKE UP!!!!!YOU SLEEPING TOO LONG!!!!

  6. ZERO STRESS!
    August 14, 2012

    Give me the job, I will work for free.

  7. Exhibit one
    August 14, 2012

    Tyani to the rescue!!!!!
    Problem solve
    Case close!!

    BRING BACK BIHANZIN!!!
    That those calypsonians need to make sounds about,what will improve the country…and not what will bring down the country..like who those pastors sleep with…chupes

  8. TC
    August 14, 2012

    Why are we so afraid to speak against what is wrong? Why are they so afraid of being victimized, losing their position and Fire Bombing on their property for the sake of saving what’s left of Dominica??
    Pure moral decay…

  9. TC
    August 14, 2012

    Why are we so afraid to stand up for what is RIGHT to save our country??? Why are we so afraid of victimization, losing our jobs and FIRE-BOMBING on our property for the sake of saving our Dominica???

  10. soitiswritten
    August 14, 2012

    These comments sound like those of a Kangaroo Court. All who dont know spitting out and passing judgement. All who know mouth zip. Menm bet menm pwel indeed! :twisted: Dominica is the greatest.

  11. Jespen
    August 14, 2012

    Then the prosecution must request that the matter be tried indictably. Which the defendant has the right to request indictable trial, he has no right in choosing summary trial. send the matter upstairs.

  12. Meme Bet Mem Pwell!
    August 14, 2012

    I don’t think is really that nuh all you…I more think it’s a case of Dominica too darn small and everybody is everybody else neighbor (two of the Magistrates live almost next door to some of the accused persons).

    So what they have to do now is get some outside OECS Magistrates. If the Constitution provides for that, that is.

    • fair
      August 14, 2012

      what Meme Bet Mem Pwell means????

      Shame dominican*

    • teena
      August 15, 2012

      LOL

  13. Anonymous
    August 14, 2012

    Well give me the dam job as Magistrate!!! Either that or throw the dam case out and stop wasting taxpayers’ money. Poor people need their matters heard in the courts!!!!

  14. Met Yo
    August 14, 2012

    You see how funny things does backfire?

    Them man arrest Whilshire and make big charade with the man in the media to remove attention away from all the information Thomson brought out.

    Obviously, those bunch of idiots supporting that criminal enterprise got excited because is Wilshire, they had all sorts of things to say in defense of their God because the trick worked on them.

    Today, they have no case against Wilshire.

    Today, if certain people speak out, we will know ALL WHO REALLY INVOLVED IN THAT THING.

    So today, case is on its way to the garbage bin.

    Poor Wilshire was used as a sacrificial lamb to feed the political ignorance of those who might still not see what is going on right now with the case.

    But still, all that is good. Let time roll on…

    • Shameless
      August 15, 2012

      Could not have said it better!

      Assertive, NOT Agressive!

    • Concern One
      August 16, 2012

      I guess you have access to the evidence. What does the magistrates recusing themselves have to do with with evidence or the lack thereof. If Wiltshire signed a passport for someone whom he doesn’t know then the court must decide his fate. Let us allow justice to take it’s course. I believe this is what democracy is all about.

  15. Jacky Chan
    August 14, 2012

    DNO i interpret the headline to mean the pledge of loyalty among fraternity of lawyers in a certain jurisdiction is off detriment to the case. Furthermore Wiltshire is just a minuscule part of the saga. There are many more lawyers whose name is destined to come up during the trial.
    Wiltshire is allegedly responsible for 1 passport misconduct. The remaining 39 passports have the face of other lawyers ;the politicians included.

    Like the fire bombing and the Isidore charges this passport scam case is twisted with political interferences and ramifications

  16. Anonymous
    August 14, 2012

    Magistrate Candia know people that know people

    • fair
      August 14, 2012

      what that mean? Explain

      • Me
        August 14, 2012

        Can’t you read? The case is against the state and her father was the Police Commissioner at the time…duh.

  17. CC
    August 14, 2012

    Why cant they bring in outside judges to hear the case?

  18. داود عبد الرحمن
    August 14, 2012

    People can say what they want about Bernard Wiltshire but this man has deep insight into law. The man was able to prevent these people from judging him? My my my, this is something else.

  19. I watching Still
    August 14, 2012

    But why is Bernard name they calling in the same breath of passport scam? He signed a document wrongfully so, but he was the whistle blower on the lawyer…….. They know why they recusing themselves and case in limbo, because if Kimana talk their prized lawyer will fall. but one day Ma Dominique will get justice

  20. Not a herd follower
    August 14, 2012

    Three magistrates recused themselves from the case. What is happening to Dominica’s justice system? Is this another piece of evidence that the country is slowly becoming a failed State?

  21. Lougaoo Mem
    August 14, 2012

    There is nothing in these charges but political mischief @ Mr Wiltshire. The real criminals who are selling the nation’s passports, and enriching themselves will soon pay for the wrongs they have done to the country. I am confident that all those who think that they are above the law, and continue to flaunt the rule of law will soon pay—.

  22. Jade
    August 14, 2012

    This is definitely the beginnin of the end of the case

  23. Anonymous
    August 14, 2012

    Hmmm, pretty soon I would not be surprised if I hear the matter has been thrown out of court/case dismissed.

  24. Fed Up
    August 14, 2012

    The citizens of Dominica need to establish an independent body (independent of the government and other third parties) – like an Ombudsman – who can make inquiries on behalf of the Dominican public into such matters. This person or persons would have access to all information, not be hindered during the course of their investigation, and be responsible for releasing a report of their findings. I’m not saying that they should interfere in legal proceedings, what I am saying is that as a result of all of the allegations made about the sale of Dominican passports – an inquiry is necessary.

    • Francisco Telemaque
      August 14, 2012

      Ombudsman or no ombudsman the situation will be the same!

      Our problem in Dominica is that we are all closely related biologically either by mother or father side, thus the link to cousins seems endless. One never know who they are dealing with until you step on someone toes.

      When I was a kid I got beaten by this big girl because of something I said about a relative of mine, both of us for that matter. If one thinks that were bad, I grew up in Wesley crossing path with three brothers I never knew are my brothers the day before my father was buried.

      As a matter of fact one of my brothers is the one who informed my late dad that he was his father!

      How can this be?

      Well, his mother told him that my father is his father; after he was grown, so he lived believing someone else was his father until his mother conscience could not endure any more, could not bring herself to break the news to our father, so she let him break the news.

      That happened twice, another of my brothers was born in Castle Bruce, his mother told my dad the child was born dead.

      It was not until his step father told my dad he father a child with his wife that my father came into the knowledge that his son was alive.

      That’s the way things are in Dominica, that is why we need to import our judges, and magistrates, and police chief’s and commissioners.

      It is difficult to sit in judgment and send your blood relatives to jail, and sentence them to hang oui!

      Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!

      Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

      • magistrate
        August 14, 2012

        FRANCISCO your brother born stiff dead but you lived brain dead. You need help dude.

      • iiiiii
        August 15, 2012

        but who ask you for your history nah Fransisco Ettiene Dodds??????????????

        lmao :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

  25. possie long time
    August 14, 2012

    put tiyani on them

    • :-)
      August 14, 2012

      Alas bring Behanzin back nuh!!!!

  26. Met Yo
    August 14, 2012

    They know..they know…they know…that they are wrongfully accusing the man and trying to shift attention from the REAL PEOPLE involved. That is why everybody TAKING OUT their self in it…lol

  27. Edward Dixon
    August 14, 2012

    hmmmm interesting…………….. i swear i read that exact story on another site before yours was even posted hmmmmm at does that say?????

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