The Magistrate’s Court has dismissed a matter involving MP for Roseau North, Daniel ‘Danny’ Lugay for want of prosecution.
Lugay was charged with inciting the murder of attorney Alick Lawrence arising from statements which he made at a United Workers Party (UWP) political meeting in Soufriere in 2014.
The matter appeared in court on Monday and Director of Public Prosecutions, Evelina Baptiste, said she did not have conduct of the case and was unable to give the whereabouts of Gilbert Peterson SC, from Trinidad, who was hired by the state to prosecute the matter.
For the first time, Alick Lawrence and Senior Counsel, Tony Astaphan, appeared in court in the matter.
At the rally held on July 3, 2014, Lugay said that that there are some people who “deserve to die” for keeping Dominica back.
“If I wasn’t a believer, I would take out some people in Dominica, you know,” he stated. “My heart is different and that is why I wouldn’t do it, but it have some people that deserve to die in Dominica. Honestly, when you see the sort of things that they do to keep back Dominica.”
Lugay later apologized for the statements but was charged for inciting the murder of Lawrence arising out of those statements.
He came under heavy fire from the government with Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, describing the statements as “extraordinary” and was eventually suspended from Parliament.
He was on bail in the sum of $8,000 with one surety.
More info later.
Ok! What will it take for Dominicans to learn? Another Erica? One thing I know, we WILL LEARN! WE MUST LEARN! The Israelites went around in the desert forty years…….. until they learnt who was really in charge. All this rancour and hate spewing is uncalled for and does nothing for either party. Yes, we do have a right to express our selves, but the blatant violent language and attacks on each other is frightening! So let me ask…. who made you angel? Yes, you just fell from heaven? Last I read the fallen angels are essentially demons at work today. Give yourselves a check, human to human, faults and all……. be more tolerant Dominicans. We are looking…. not so pretty.
That reply is to you Labour of so much hate
How it is that the state is picking up the tab on a private matter between Alick Lawrence and Danny Lugay
If Alick Lawrence felt threatened by Lugay and wants to go to court he should do so on his own and not on the state resources. But we are fully aware of the rampant abuse of power,authority and the state resources by this administration. The same AG and his cabinet refuse to support a police officer who was sued for doing his job.
Our country is under the control of evil vagabonds and rogues.
Sometimes freedom of speech could be costly. You are off the hook, so next time choose your words wisely. A “born again” man must use wisdom in all things. If you be wise, why speak as a fool?
Dominicans it’s you who will be paying the bill for Tony, Alick and the lawyer from Trinidad and that’s just the beginning.
according to what was said in this storry that case should not have gone to court in the first place. no ones names were mention in the quoted statement so he cannot be charged with anythign . the same way when the statement of rapist ministers were made absolutely no names were mentioned there either yet certain ministers take it to mean them while others just ignored it. if all ministers cannot take the person who made the statement to court that should also be thrown out of court
So it ok for someone to say in the public that they are going to kill a minister or police officer? People before you all at hold he’s not being charge, (THINK)!
That’s a man that could be ruling Dominica tomorrow and his caliber…………….. We are deserve better than that Dominica…………….
Let justice prevail. Dem guys are out to take as much as they can from an already impoverished Dominica. Are they going to tell sensible Dominicans who is footing the bill?
An abuse of power, continued disregard to the rule of law, and a perverted judiciary that’s not the norm, are enough evidence to see where the young nation is heading.
Boy boy Dominican too much time on their hands.
THis train must be stopped. ..they have to bow their heads in shame…you see Chavez party went down after nearly 17 yrs. ..this labor party train spikes will give way…the wicket will not last he and his henchmen will fall. Crooked…wicked…greedy…evil men will come down…the same hand who put them in will removed them and DA will be free again!!!
LABOUROFLOVE BECAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR.
All I ask is for a strong, motivated, dedicated and loyal Country with all hands on deck and all feet on the pedals ready to build and prosper. I ask for a Dominica without evil, dangerous and wicked people who want power but really won’t know what to do with it until they get it. Knowing that they will never get it is frustrating them and reducing them to making threats. So….I ask for a Dominica with a strong Police Force that will repel and resist these type of people and jail them for a number of years until they calm down and accept that they are never going to win. I also ask for a blessed and beloved Supreme Leader that will lead Dominica with compassion and goodwill and that has been granted to us in the person of our precious and divine Prime Minister, the right and honorable Dr. Roosevelt M. Skerrit. The last thing I ask for is for you to be very careful with mentioning the name “LabourOfLove”. It might not serve you well
Take a chill pill…relax!!!!
i just dont understand how a government can just be wasting the resources of a country so and Dominican just sit there about i love my pm. but you know they will be loving their pm less now because maduro gone, lapseng gone, gadadi gone so fewer handouts these days.
And they say there is no justice system in Dominica.
He should not be in court in the first place. We cannot strive to do what is right some of the time. We must all the time. Why after the commissioner of police said he knew there was a homicide in the Portsmouth police station no one has been charged and tried. The justice system is a mess and this was another waste of tax payers money by politicians. This lawyers only defrauding the state because every time they go to court for these crap they getting paid. Meantime murder casses getting stoil, PM admitted their was racketeering with passport, garbage bin fraud, land transfer fraud. Additionally the minister of tourism addmiting the law is not being enforced because its about friends. Neglegwnce in hospital goes unpunished. The list goes on. Abuse and selective execution of the law is a crime. There is no justice in Dominica
There really isn’t. Did you not read the article properly?
It looks like there is justice for you,as long as it is in your favor. If it is not in your favor you would not find there is justice. This is how some of you operate unfairly.
They can’t keep a blessed man down.
They can’t keep an extremist or radical down.
What a waste of money, what a waste of time.
What of our justice system is it still broken?
It looks like it is broken. What else is new?
Well, well , well, big things are happening in Caracas and Roseau these days!!! Nuff said people- good riddance!!!!
More votes for Danny. A senior counsel made blatant public mischief when he lie about the leaking of IPO document by Linton whereas it was he who did it. The police just put their tail in their rear and pretended like the senior counsel did nothing. But guess what they got a court order to search Linton’s house and the senior counsel still running his mouth.
The country is upside down inside out with corruption. They cannot pay their bills but they have money to pay a lawyer out of Trinidad just to go after Danny Lugay. How can we as tax payers support this nonsense.
The word is CORRUPTION, CORRUPTION, CORRUPTION.
UNAPOLOGETIC
LIAT left the senior counsel on Bird Island and Skerrit could not send a Jet for the senior counsel.
The country broke and Alick Lawrence, Tony Astaphan sat down in court like fufu waiting.
Lugay my brother,god is in control,TonyAND allick time will come,the poor people of Dominica will be free soonthe empire Skerrit has built will crumble,Lugay your for the people and the almighty will lead you the right way my brother.
You are twisting and turning the truth. You should know about God’s Ten Commandments and what Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us and the inspired writing of St. Paul. What Lugay stated was displeasing to God. One day, he will bear the consequences of his words. God is patient!
Do not overlook these words. Be reminded that Our Lord said: “. . . On the Day of Judgment, every idle word that man shall speak he shall render an account thereof. By your words you will be acquitted. By your words you will be condemned.”
I do not see how any one of you can commend Lugay for what he stated on the podium which everyone heard/read about. If you are a fair person, you will know that Lugay deserves to be tried and punished. It is not because he is a UWP but because of what he stated. Know the difference.
Danny you can celebrate now, but this one is far from over! This case WILL be brought back to the Courts and you WILL be jailed as you so rightly deserve. Right now, we are giving you your time to enjoy a lucky break not based on the facts or the allegations against you, but the incompetence of the hired Trinidadian prosecutor. When we, the faithful, loyal, dedicated and committed Labourites drag you back into the Courtroom kicking and screaming we promise you that you will be skinned even better than the proverbial cat. I am already hearing Labourite comrades calling for your head on a stick. You had the audacity to threaten the life of our Senior Counsel and now you think you have gotten off scotch free? Well, think again Mr. Lugay. The next time you appear in a Courtroom, that little smile will be permanently wiped off your face and replaced with tears. I hear that it’s at least three years prison for you my friend. Your goose is cooked. Take that to the bank!
Wicked; wicked wicked labourite. Your time coming! What Danny do, you and your Labourites have said worse than that! All you not learning? God is in control, my lady. Wish you well. Danny is a blessed child you will not have the order of the day. Labourites calling for Danny’s head on a stick? You sound worse than ISIS. Shame on you
I expect it is not over. Those who are intelligent and sensible should know that. The SC, Gilbert Petersen was a no-show. The magistrate did not know his whereabouts? Can you imagine that? She should not have thrown the case out. She probably knows something that Dominicans do not know.
This SC who was supposed to appear must give an account of why he did not appear. Otherwise he should be fired.
Would it be that he feted, drank and ate too much at the weekend? Or was it a plan that he would willfully not show up so that the case would be thrown out? I hope not for his sake.and that of the D/ca magistrate’s.
If Lugay thinks this is the end of the case he is wrong.
Your a competete moron ,Skerrit demise is near,put the almighty first,Skerrit is doomed and so are you fool.
No weapon formed against the children of God shall prosper. That you should put in your pipe and smoke. It is written but yours isn’t lol.
So now the taxpayers have to hand over a cheque each to Tony Astaphan and Alick Lawrence for their appearance? And for what? To massage someone’s ego? And then you have the government asking Dominicans in the Diaspora to send money to help build Dominica? No wonder my sister said she wasn’t giving a dime of her hard earned money to these guys.
People must utilize their common sense if they have any. Too often they comment without first thinking.
You should not blame Tony and Alick. Blame the no-show SC Petersen. He was supposed to be at Court in D/ca. Ask yourself why did he not show up and what is his reason for not showing up?
Blame also the D/can magistrate who was too quick to throw out the case. Professionally, this case should have been postponed; not thrown out. It makes no sense.
This T & T SC works for the people; not himself. He is obligated to give a reason why he was not able to attend Court.
I have never heard of a case being thrown out because the SC was a no-show. I could understand if the complainant and attorney did not show-up.
Surely, she should know better. She should be reprimanded, demoted or fired.
Tell her to show Dominicans where is it in the Constitution, in the Law Book that if the Prosecutor does not show up and his whereabouts unknown, the case should be thrown out.
Let common sense prevail. The Prosecutor did not show up. He owes Dominican taxpayers. He should hand over a cheque to Tony and Alick’s including the Magistrate. The fault is not that of the government and it is not that of D/can taxpayers.
If he does not have a good reason why he was absent from this Court, he should be charged and/or fired too. He caused them to waste their time.
Tony and Alick should send him a bill.
Although we should not incite hate and wish ill to others, Dominica has a long way to go in line of equality, freedom of speech, moral ethics to name a few. We need to address the Too Big to go to prison culture. We are scrutinized for even our opinion concerning the big man. Shame on us.
You should know it is against the Law to make threats or threaten others. As an adult, you need not be told that it is a crime.
It is also a mortal sin against God’s Commandment. What Lugay stated is not an act of love. It was one of dislike, hatred/enmity. If you are smart you should comprehend that. It goes without saying.
The dumb and the dumber were at court together, what a combination. Tie your waist, Salisbury people. Them fellers will not rest until anyone who opposes who Linton referred to as D B L is put in jail.
This was expected. Hurricane DLP has destroyed and is still devastating Dominica. They knew exactly that Danny won’t even kill a fly or ant. Chavista is over Skerritta is next.
The wicked cannot rule for ever!
Tell them SKERITTA is NEXT. GOD is good, GOD is not to be mocked. TIME my people just TIME
Many of you are unfair. God is not pleased with you. Ask yourself, what would God say about what Lugay stated?
You are not making Dominica any better. You hate from the heart. It is people as you who make Dominica a mess and you turn it around to make it look, according to your mentality, that it is the government.
It should be time for God to come and reclaim his world and give everyone exactly what they deserve and according to their unfair words of hatred.
Just another in this litany of time wasting and attempting to instill fear in citizens. There was NEVER any possibility in getting a conviction in this matter.
HOTEP!
THANKS,THERE IS A GOD.
Leave God out of this. You wrongly use His Holy Name in vain. You know what He taught.
Lugay made a statement that not even the pagans would. Did not Our Lord Jesus Christ said, the pagans love one another and you Christians cannot love one another?
Lugay’s words were not of praise and complimentary and he calls himself a Christian?
Our Lord also said: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah say. These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me.”
Are you blind to what is written in the New Testament according to the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ?
He also said: “Those who know and did not do it, they will be beaten the worst.” I did not make it up. It is in the Holy Bible as Our Lord taught. Failure to do as Our Lord taught and commanded, is a grievous/mortal sin. Tell this also to Lugay.
According to the Law, no one shall threaten another or make innuendos to murder them or to incite murder.
Best thing the courts have done in favour of Democracy in Dominica…
the claims were flat…how many times have the dark siders apologized…haha…