A Belle Vue, Vieux-Fort man is now battling for life in hospital almost one week after he was found suffering from chop wounds in a banana plantation in Vigier, Vieux-Fort.

Donovan Fontenelle, 36, is currently in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of St. Jude Hospital, police sources have told St. Lucia News Online (SNO).

Reports are that on Wednesday, May 13, at around 7:30 p.m., members of the St. Lucia Fire Service and the police were summoned to a chopping incident at Vigier, Vieux-Fort in a banana field, when Fontenelle was found with multiple lacerations all over his body.

He was transported to St. Jude Hospital via ambulance.

A source told SNO that Fontenelle was bleeding profusely and foaming from his mouth when he was discovered.

No one has been arrested to date, but unconfirmed reports are that three persons of interest are being sought in connection with the incident.

Two men accused of a brutally chopping a man’s leg at Ravine Poisson were denied bail, when they made a court appearance on Tuesday (May 19) in Castries.

The unidentified men are said to be 37 and 18-years-old and had previous convictions for a similar offence.

The elder of the two is reported to be the father of one of the accused.

Two other men are accused of being involved in the incident and are said to be in their teens.

The men were arrested in connection with a chopping incident at Ravine Poisson on Thursday, May 14.

The victim, Timothius Sexius, 35, of Ravine Poisson, had his left leg amputated as a result of the incident.

The men will make another court appearance on June 18, 2015.

Andrew ‘Yardie’ Haynes.

Popular entertainer and radio talk show host, Andrew ‘Yardie’ Haynes, has been accused of abusing his wife of 12 years, causing her to flee the country.

His in-laws told HTS News Force that the entertainer’s wife, Angel St. Helen, decided that she had enough of the abuse hence why she left for another country.

Prisca St. Helen, the woman’s mother said the couple has had a very bumpy relationship in the years that they have been together and the alleged domestic abuse has reached its worst point.

“Yes she left the country because of the abuse. She feels that she cannot take the abuse anymore and does not want to be in the relationship anymore and he doesn’t want to accept it,” Prisca told HTS.

However, Haynes has denied the allegations, stating that he has never been abusive towards his wife and accused his in-laws of trying to get between their relationship.

“They moved my wife once to England and she was left out in the cold to the point where I had to call an ambulance and send money for her to get an apartment,” he said.

The entertainer said his wife did not flee the country; instead, she recently took up an offer to work with a cruise ship. According to Haynes, he and his wife discussed the offer and how it could affect their relationship, but she still went ahead and took the job.

The woman’s mother, however, told HTS that Haynes has allegedly threatened to kill her (Prisca) and has been calling and texting constantly with various other threats. But the entertainer has also denied those allegations.

An official report was filed with the police and Haynes was warned not to make contact with his wife’s family again.

The accused. Photo credit: HTS News Force.

Two men who were nabbed with cocaine in their possession along the Bexon Highway on Saturday (May 16) made their first court appearance on Tuesday in Castries.

Kevin Albert, a Saint Lucian and Gerard Montoute, a French national, were slapped with charges of possession and possession with intent to supply 19 kilos of cocaine.

Both men were remanded based on the indictable charge. The matter was put down for case management on June 18, 2015.

Attorney-at-Law, Marcus Foster, who is representing the French national, told the media that he will apply for bail for his client when the matter reaches the High Court.

The attorney representing the Saint Lucian, Vandike Jude, said his client is planning to plead not guilty and that he would also seek bail on his client’s behalf.

Police said the duo were in a minibus that was being driven by Albert, when they were stopped by a joint Special Services Unit (SSU) and Drug Squad patrol.

A search conducted on the said vehicle revealed 17 blocks of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine. The duo were arrested and taken into police custody.

The cocaine has an estimated street value of EC$500,000.00.

PRESS RELEASE - The handling of the Lambirds Academy scandal continues to be a great cause for concern.

In light of this, I am calling for the immediate reinstatement of the two senior police officers who were initially investigating the Lambirds Academy Scandal.

The courageous and professional officers are not the wrong doers in this scandal and therefore, their removal from this serious criminal investigationmay be interpreted as clear interference in the ongoing probe and may very likely be compromising this investigation.

More than seventy students from Nepal, Bangladesh and India are stranded in St. Lucia following the arrests of the owners and operators of Lambirds Academy.

They were charged with human trafficking, fraud and money laundering. The students are now surviving,in large measure, through the kindness of the Roman Catholic Church and the citizens of St. Lucia.

This Thursday May 21, 2015, I will be holding a meeting in the town of Gros Islet to highlight the role of Honourable Emma Hippolyte in the Lambirds Scandal, as well as discussing the Cuban Visa fiasco and the economic hardship afflicting most St. Lucians as a result of this Labour administration poor fiscal policies and mismanagement of the country’s economy.

Sahab Jamshidi.

CANADIAN PRESS - A Canadian man accused in the drowning of a four-year-old boy in St. Lucia is hoping his name will soon be cleared as he makes one last bid to have the charge dismissed.

Sahab Jamshidi is charged with causing death by gross negligence or recklessness in the drowning of Terrel Joshua Elibox — a charge the Royal St. Lucia Police Force says carries a possible sentence of life in prison.

Jamshidi’s supporters maintain he was trying to help the child after seeing him struggle in the water in February.

His longtime friend Stephen Verbeek says a court hearing Thursday will determine whether the case goes to trial.

Verbeek, who travelled to St. Lucia to help his friend, says Jamshidi has been freed on bail but can’t leave the island country.

He says both plan to come home to the Hamilton area this weekend if the charge is thrown out.

New information recently came to light that gave the pair hope and they can now see “a potential light at the end of this tunnel,” Verbeek told The Canadian Press on Wednesday.

“It’s still extremely stressful and difficult, as you can imagine, because a trial for manslaughter here can go well over 10 years, which completely turns our lives upside down,” he said.

“It is still very possible that this could go to trial. We most likely won’t be sleeping tonight,” he said.

“Depending on how this goes, we could either be in wild jubilation or dead silence in grief.”

Jamshidi, who previously went to school in St. Lucia, had returned there for a visit when the incident took place, his friend said.

Police said investigators were told Terrel was given a ride by a kite surfer on Feb. 22, fell into the sea and submerged.

The boy’s family members told a local TV station they had no idea he was missing until a man approached Terrel’s grandmother, saying he’d taken the boy on his surfboard and the child had fallen off.

Verbeek has offered a different account, saying Jamshidi was kitesurfing when he saw the child bobbing in the water and unsuccessfully tried to save him.

Others who have rallied in his defence online have pointed to an incident last fall when Jamshidi helped an injured young man he encountered while cycling on a Hamilton trail.

A 36-year-old man who was discovered last week in a banana plantation in Vigier with chop wounds to several parts of his body, remains critical at the St. Jude Hospital.

Donovan Fontenelle of Belle Vue, Vieux-Fort was discovered on Wednesday, May 13 at around 7:30 p.m.

His brother, Stephen, told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that today will be eight days since his brother has been in a coma.

“His condition is very bad. He can’t talk up to now, because he is in coma. I spoke with the doctor in charge of the unit and was told that there is no improvement,” he explained.

Stephen said his brother sustained serious chops on his head and one of his legs. He told SNO that the injury to his head is responsible for the coma that he is in right now.

Fontenelle also sustained chops to his arm, fingers and hand.

“I feel very shocked and wasn’t expecting that to happen to my brother. They actually ambushed him and he is not in a position to say who is responsible because of his condition,” he added.

Stephen said there have been no arrests made so far in relation to the incident, but he remains hopeful that the police will find the perpetrators.

He said, “For those persons responsible, we need them to be arrested. Once he recovers, he must be fully compensated, so that he can continue with his life.”

PRESS RELEASE - Following a very successful human rights sensitisation with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force in 2014, United and Strong is extending efforts to other law enforcement and community service providers.

An exercise from Tuesday May 19 to Friday May 22, 2015, focused on officers from the Air and Sea Ports, Customs and Corrections. It also included members of civil society who may have occasion to interface with law enforcement on behalf of their community.

Human rights lawyer and activist Maurice Tomlinson is facilitating the session, along with his spouse Tom Decker, a trained police officer and instructor. The duo also conducted the first exercise, which spanned the RSLPF from the Commissioner of Police to new recruits.

Executive Director of United and Strong Kenita Placide notes, “This training is important to continue to re-emphasise the need for better community policing and ensure the basic understanding of human rights is the foundation of policing in Saint Lucia. This training happening in Saint Lucia now, happened in Barbados last week and hoping for the rest of the OECS in the coming months is just a small piece of United and Strong’s advocacy and education to reduce incidents of discriminations and achieve equality for all.” U&S is hosting the exercise in partnership with the Canadian HIV AIDS Legal Network, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the British High Commission, CariFLAGS and the RSLPF.

In the final days of the sensitisation, selected participants will engage in a “training of trainers” session. This prepares them to instruct their own cohort, ensuring the continuance of the learning. In the long term, this is expected to result in a more humane and professional law enforcement, a reduction in stigmatising behaviours and a generally healthier society.

Certificates will be awarded to participants during a closing ceremony at the Police Training School in La Toc on Friday May 22, 2015. The media is invited to cover the closing ceremony, which begins at 3pm.

Sahab Jamshidi.

A sufficiency hearing for the Canadian doctor — charged in the Feb. 22 drowning death of a four-year-old boy — has been adjourned until May 22.

This is the fourth time that the hearing has been adjourned.

Sahab Jamshidi is charged with gross negligence or recklessness causing death in the death of T.J. Elibox, who drowned at the beach during a church outing on the island’s Independence Day.

Conflicting stories continue to circulate the island about what happened to TJ.

Police allege the boy drowned after Jamshidi (who was there on vacation, visiting friends from his medical school days) took him out into the water on his kite board.

Jamshidi — a trained doctor — maintains that he was out on the water kite surfing when he first spotted four-year-old TJ drowning, and called for help after he failed to rescue him.

It will be determine on Friday whether the case goes to trial or the doctor is cleared of the charges.

Kerison Joseph (centre) was killed after his motorcycle collided with the pickup (right) driven by Franklin.

A senior citizen was granted $10,000 bail or suitable surety when he appeared in Castries court on Thursday, May 21, charged in connection with a fatal accident in Bexon over the weekend.

Police said Hyacinth Franklin, 62, of Ti Colon, Castries was on Wednesday, May 20 charged with causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the death of 34-year-old Kerison Joseph of Bagatelle, Castries.

In court on Thursday, Franklin was also ordered to surrender his travel documents. The case was adjourned to July 2.

Police said on Saturday, May 16, 2015, at about 9 p.m., officers attached to the Traffic Unit responded to a report of a serious accident on the Bexon road.

Motor pickup, registration number TE8723, driven by Franklin was travelling in a northerly direction and motorcycle, registration number PJ341, driven by Joseph in the opposite direction when they collided with each other, police said.

As a result of the collision both vehicles received extensive damage and Joseph sustained serious injuries.

Joseph was transported to the Victoria Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Sources have confirmed a rock-throwing incident in Castries city Friday morning which had persons running for cover.

The incident occured sometime after 8 a.m. with young men throwing rocks at each other along the Chaussee Road between Jeremie Street and Victoria Street, several sources told St. Lucia News Online (SNO).

A motorist described the young men’s actions as careless.

“I was busy trying to avoid the head-sized stones being hurled with no care for vehicles or bystanders,” he said. “I had to turn quickly down Jeremie Street to avoid them.”

A pedestrian told SNO that it is better for the the young men to use rocks than guns.

“Better stones than bullets,” she said.

It is not yet confirmed whether anyone was injured or any property was damaged in the altercation.

Police are yet to apprehend two men from Wilton’s Yard (also known as Graveyard) wanted for attempted murder in Castries.

Yannick Alfred, also known as “Yannick Albert” or “Gangster Rat” and Dane Augustin, also known as “Cyborg” are wanted in connection with the  attempted murder of 27-year-old, Joachim Henry of Ciceron, Castries.

Police, in an April 24 press release, informed the public that “warrants of arrest in the first instance” were issued for the men.

Police said Alfred and Augustin shot Henry multiple times on March 11, 2015 at about 2 a.m. in Ciceron.

Henry sustained wounds to his left hand, left shoulder and center of his back, police said.

When asked why the photos of the men have not been made public to assist in their capture, a police official told St. Lucia News Online that the laws of Saint Lucia do not allow the police to do that.

PRESS RELEASE - On Wednesday, May 20, 2015 about 9:45 p.m. officers attached to the Gros-Islet Police Station were notified of a parked Toyota omnibus, registration number TX 284 suspected of containing contraband/illicit substance on the compound of the Rodney Bay Marina situated in Gros-Islet.

Upon arrival, the officers noticed that the vehicle was unoccupied. Every effort to identify the owner or driver proved futile.

Consequently, a search of the said vehicle was conducted in the presence of a Justice of the Peace.

As a result of the search, the officers discovered nine rectangular blocks suspected to be cocaine.

Investigations are continuing into the matter.

Marvin Anthony Augustin

Exactly one month after the body of Marvin Anthony Augustin of Grand Riviere, Gros-Islet was discovered with 56 stab wounds, police are yet to arrest anyone, even though a Jamaican male has been fingered by the lawmen in connection with the gruesome homicide.

In the last update on the progress of the investigations (April 28), police told St. Lucia News Online that they are following several leads in the hunt for the person (s) responsible for the death of the 18-year-old, whose body was found on Trouya Beach on April 21.

The Public Relations Department of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) had told SNO the investigation was being aggressively pursued.

Police said they are looking for a Jamaican man who has been identified as a possible suspect. However, the police official told SNO that there are certain procedures that must be followed before a suspect’s identity is made public, explaining the reason why the man’s picture has not been released.

A post mortem concluded that Augustin died from hemorrhagic shock secondary to a stab wound.

Augustin’s lifeless body was discovered on April 21 at around 1:30 p.m, hours after he was reported missing. He was last seen alive on April 20 at about 6 p.m.

A source close to Augustin, who preferred to remain anonymous, told (SNO) the incident might have been a set up.

The source claimed Augustin went to meet another male on the beach, the same day he went missing. He allegedly met the person via Facebook.

Apparently, Augustin sent a photo of the person he was going to meet on the beach, to his best friend, the source said.

Rev. Dr. Augustus Sealy.

DAILY MAIL - A Saint Lucian-born religious leader who resides in Hartford in the US was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting as he decorated the lawn outside his church in an annual Memorial Day tradition.

Rev. Dr. Augustus Sealy, who leads the First Church of the Nazarene in Hartford, was shot at about 6.30am on Sunday and was left lying in the street as his attacker sped away from the scene.

He was rushed to the Hartford Hospital where he was listed as being in a critical condition and underwent emergency surgery.

The 54-year-old pastor suffered two gunshot wounds to the right leg, shattering his femur, and one to the left shoulder, according to NBC News.

A witness reported seeing a black car which slowed as it passed the victim and said that five gunshots could be heard.

Police said that seven shell casings were found, adding that the car was a Nissan Altima.

LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3095920/Pastor-wounded-drive-shooting-broad-daylight-placed-flags-Memorial-Day.html

The First Church of the Nazarene, in Hartford, Massachusetts, where Rev. Dr. Augustus Sealy, 54, was shot in a drive-by shooting in broad daylight. The pastor was decorating the lawn outside his church with flags in an annual Memorial Day tradition, when he was shot three times in the leg and shoulder.

A 36-year-old man, who was discovered last week in a banana plantation in Vigier with chop wounds to several parts of his body, passed away at about 11:00 p.m. Sunday (May 24) at the St. Jude Hospital.

Donovan Fontenelle of Belle Vue, Vieux-Fort was discovered on Wednesday, May 13 at around 7:30 p.m. with these injuries. He was taken to the hospital and remained there until his death.

His brother, Stephen Dornelly, told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) today that the doctor had called him and explained to him that his brother may not make it, based on his condition.

“The doctor said that he was not responding well and he had already stopped breathing the day before. The pupil in his eyes was not showing any signs of life. And he explained different other things.”

The family stood and watch how the machines were taken off of Fontenelle, who died minutes after.

Meanwhile, Dornelly said he spoke with the police and raised concerns about the slow pace of investigation.

“I am not satisfied with the way the police go about dragging that case. People around you all pointed to people that may be responsible and they were questioned and still no arrest…,” he stated.

According to him, the police have questioned at least three persons in relation to the chopping incident.

He was told that they have sufficient evidence to arrest one of the suspects and will be doing so soon.

Dornelly said once the person is arrested, he would feel that some measure of justice has been put in place and whatever is left to be done, will take due course.

Fontenelle sustained serious chops on his head and one of his legs. Relatives believe the injury to his head is responsible for his death. He was in a coma for over one week.

He leaves to mourn a 15-year-old daughter and other relatives.

An alleged altercation between two Rastafarian men in Ravine Chabot, Castries at about 2 p.m. on Monday, May 25 resulted in one sustaining several chop wounds.

The man was treated at the scene by EMT personnel then transported to hospital.

Unconfirmed reports are that the incident stemmed from an argument over a female.

An eyewitness described the man’s injuries: “He got chopped in the palm of his hand. Just the skin on the back of his hand holding it. And he got a lash of stone on his forehead and one on his back, then he got chopped whilst on the ground.”

The perpetrator was reportedly detained by police.

MIAMI HERALD - About 20 Cubans who arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands on a migrant boat two months ago have been unable to travel to South Florida because immigration authorities refuse to grant them paroles, according to a member of the group.

The paroles are key because the Cuban migrants need them to be formally admitted into the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act.

U.S. officials in the Virgin Islands have delayed delivery of the parole documents until the Cuban migrants agree to assist in a migrant smuggling investigation, providing information about the boat’s captain and the journey, according to the Cuban who spoke to el Nuevo Herald by phone from St. Thomas. He did not want his name published.

“It’s blackmail,” the Cuban said, referring to the U.S. officials’ pressure tactics.

The case has opened a window into a little-known escape route for Cuban migrants.

Cubans have been able to get tourist visas for St. Lucia, a nation of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, and have been using the island as a jumping-off point for illegal migrant boat trips to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Members of the group that is now delayed in St. Thomas, part of the USVI, left Cuba separately for St. Lucia, and from there boarded a boat bound for U.S. territory.

Under the current wet foot/dry foot policy, Cubans who reach U.S. soil are allowed to stay, while those intercepted at sea are generally returned to Cuba.

Delays in parole deliveries have been reported before in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But previously, U.S. officials have blamed the delays on limited staff.

Thirty-eight Cuban migrants who had been picked up near the Virgin Islands in April were denied repatriation by Cuba after officials there learned they had been sailing toward St. Lucia, not the U.S. mainland. After a few days, the Cuban government relented, and the Coast Guard finally was able to return the Cubans to the island under the wet foot/dry foot policy.

After discovering the St. Lucia route, U.S. authorities began an investigation with a view to disrupting migrant smuggling operations.

The Cuban who described the situation involving the 20 migrants in St. Thomas said U.S. immigration officials want witnesses to implicate the boat captain in order to prosecute him.

“We told them that we do not have a clear recollection of what happened and therefore we cannot finger anyone,” the Cuban said. “It was then that they began delaying the delivery of the paroles to us.”

The Cuban said that in some cases, immigration officials had shown some of the members of the group parole documents with their names already filled in but told them they would not be delivered until they agreed to testify against the boat captain.

The Cuban who spoke to el Nuevo Herald said immigration authorities delivered five paroles late Thursday, but that the majority of group members still had not received them.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) declined to comment.

The majority of Cuban migrants now arrive in the United States via the Mexican border. More than 13,100 Cuban migrants have crossed the border from Mexico since Oct. 1, 2014.

Between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014, at least 17,459 Cuban migrants crossed into the United States from Mexico.

At least 1,469 Cuban migrants have been interdicted at sea since Oct. 1.

CEO of Invest Saint Lucia, Mr. McHale Andrew.

PRESS RELEASE – ‘Over the last few weeks, Invest Saint Lucia has listened with concern to the plethora of commentary and conjecture pertaining to the Lambirds Academy affair.

Mindful of the potential damage to investor perception of our island, Invest Saint Lucia wishes to release this statement to clarify its role in this rather unfortunate issue.

It is now common knowledge that on Friday March 6th 2015, the police arrested and charged a number of persons connected to Lambirds Academy including one Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Shams for various human trafficking offences, resulting in the closure of the Academy.

Since then, the public has rightfully taken a keen interest in this matter particularly with regards to the establishment of the Lambirds Academy here in Saint Lucia.

Whilst every citizen has a right to enquire and to be rightfully concerned about this matter, ISL is of the firm view that we must not be too quick to draw invalid inferences and to accept, without more, baseless accusations and false conclusions.

As it stands, the charges against the agents of Lambirds Academy are still allegations, which are to be decided by a jury and it is indeed improper to try this matter in the court of public opinion.

Invest Saint Lucia can thus speak only to matters relating to the facts of the investment process and the truth, which these facts admit.

It can be categorically stated that Invest Saint Lucia did NOT specifically invite Lambirds Academy to Saint Lucia, but Lambirds Academy accepted a general invitation, issued online and in the local, regional and international media, to attend the inaugural Saint Lucia Investment Forum in May 2014.

Further, there was never and has not since been any attempt by Invest Saint Lucia to hide the facts or obfuscate information related to the matter.

Invest Saint Lucia’s only interest has been to ensure that the established processes for investment facilitation and establishment are followed and indeed, not only have we steadfastly maintained that position but had on several occasions communicated to Iftekhar Shams, principal of the erstwhile Lambirds Academy, the need to abide by the established rules, regulations and laws applicable to the establishment of his business.

The ensuing facilitation process was thereafter conducted according to law and within the prescribed procedures.

The requisite due diligence protocols were followed and returned nothing adverse either in relation to Lambirds Academy, which had already established a presence in the USA, or to its agents.

Invest Saint Lucia’s statutory facilitation duties were adopted with the requisite applications submitted to the various regulatory agencies for consideration and approval.

Invest Saint Lucia, on May 22nd 2014, consistent with its statutory facilitation duties, submitted an application for a Trade Licence on behalf of Lambirds Academy, to the Trade Licence Board for consideration.

When advised by a senior officer of ISL, after communicating with the Ministry of Commerce etc., that the said Board had not met in months and was unlikely to meet in the near future, Invest Saint Lucia, pursuant to section 7 of the Invest Saint Lucia Act Number 14 of 2014, resubmitted the application, on June 2nd 2014, directly to the Minister for her consideration.

The applicable provisions of the said Act read as follows:

Powers of Minister

7.- (1) Notwithstanding any other law in force in Saint Lucia, the Minister shall, in relation to any key niche economic sector mentioned in section 5, have the same power and authority, as those of the relevant Minister to process an application made by an investor for –

(a) fiscal incentives under the Fiscal Incentives Act, Cap.

15.16 and to submit the recommendations to Cabinet;

(b) trade licences under the Trade Licences Act, Cap. 13.04 and to grant such licences;

“Investment Never Looked Better”

(c) work permits under the Labour Act, No. 37 of 2007 and to grant such work permits;

(d) tourism incentives under the Tourism Incentives Act, Cap.

15.30 and to submit the recommendations to Cabinet.

(2) An investor who desires to obtain-

(a) a fiscal incentive under the Fiscal Incentives Act, Cap

15.16;

(b) a trade licence under the Trade Licences Act, Cap 13.04;

(c) a work permit under the Labour Act, No. 37 of 2007;

(d) a tourism incentive under the Tourism Incentives Act, Cap

15.30, in relation to a key niche economic sector mentioned

in subsection (1) shall submit his or her application through Invest Saint Lucia to the Minister.

(3) The Minister may delegate his or her power to process an application under subsection (1) to the chairperson under such terms and conditions as the Minister determines and a copy of the application must be forwarded to the relevant Minister and the Prime Minister.

It is worth noting that Lambirds Academy was a lawfully incorporated body under the laws of Saint Lucia, and, as no fault can be laid at the door of the Registry of Companies for incorporating Lambirds Academy,or on the attorney who swore the statutory declaration to facilitate the incorporation, so too, no calumny or opprobrium should be levied at Invest Saint Lucia or its personnel for facilitating the said company.

Indeed, Invest Saint Lucia was not, at the material time, seized with any valid and compelling legal reason to refrain from facilitating Lambirds Academy.

The investment process is designed to allow an investor to legally establish a prima facie legitimate business and is not designed to detect an investor’s criminal intent in the operations of that authorized business.

As Chief Justice Brian (of the United Kingdom) once proclaimed: “that the intent of a man cannot be tried, for the Devil himself knows not the intent of a man”.

It is our view therefore that the process of lawfully establishing Lambirds Academy (as an institution) is not the issue. The real issue to be determined is whether the lawfully established Lambirds Academy was used to carry out an illegal enterprise.

If there is indeed such a criminal intent, the machinery of government, through its investigative agencies did detect the alleged criminality and for that we are most thankful. However, in accordance with the Rule of Law, due process should be followed and justice be done even if the heavens fall.

It thus rings true that “Progress is the exploration of our own error” and so, what is now material, is for us to review our systems and processes to determine where best they can be strengthened so as to avoid such a recurrence in the future.’

Samyka Harris Edwin.

The Soufriere Foundation has said the trip involving a US doctor who met her demise while hiking on the world-famous Gros Piton, about two weeks ago, was not authorised.

Chief Executive Officer Walter Francois told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) Tuesday (May 26) that the doctor and her husband were guided by an unauthorised group.

Francois said Soufriere Foundation is the only authorised body responsible for conducting tours under the Gros Piton Nature Trail and provides tours for groups of about four persons.

The Foundation also provides insurance liability for persons who participate in these tours.

However, Francois said that some persons are engaged in and practice what he described as “back door tours.” This of course is done using a different route, unknown to the Foundation.

“For security reasons we cannot place anyone in that general area. But what we have been speaking about at the Foundation is persons taking this risk and they don’t cover the visitors,” he said.

He told SNO that the recent incident involving the US doctor was brought to the attention of local police, who said they have launched an investigation into the matter.

The area that is supposedly used for the “back door tours” still however, does not have security.

Francois said there is also another problem, where operators access the beach close to the Pitons without permission.

He said he is concerned about this increasingly worrying development, which could lead to unfortunate circumstances and paint a bad picture for the thriving tourism industry in Soufriere.

The Soufriere Foundation, he said, would usually have a briefing before the actual trip. It also checks on each individual’s medical background to determine if they are suffering from any aliments that would prevent them from participating.

On Sunday, May 3, 2015, at about 3:45 p.m., Samyka Harris Edwin was hiking the Gros Piton trail along with her husband, also a doctor, when she collapsed, never regaining consciousness.

A post mortem examination revealed that Edwin died as a result of heat stroke also defined as hyperthermia.