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HOME	FEBRUARY 5th, 2005

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Local attorney-at-law, Anslem Clouden has contracted the legal services of former Attorney General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Queens Counsel Parnel Campbell to take legal action against the Vincentian Government.

Clouden told reporters in St.George's during a press conference that his decision to institute legal proceedings against that country's Attorney General stemmed from the violation of a court order.

He said that a Vincentian Magistrate recently ordered the deportation of escapees Leslie Victory and William Criuckshank who were charged with illegal entry, convicted in court and ordered to be deported.

However, Clouden charges that the Vincentian Government of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has turned around and violated the order thus infringing on the rights of his clients. Victory and Cruickshank had escaped from the Richmond Hill Prisons in Grenada after it was destroyed by hurricane Ivan and fled to St. Vincent.

According to Clouden, the two escapees later surrendered to law enforcement officials there after they were advised to do so. "Upon their arrest I was contacted by their family to provide legal representation to the men who were charged by the Vincentain authority with illegal entry", he said.

"I then contacted my colleague Sylvester and Sylvester law firm in St. Vincent and travelled to that country subsequently to argue the matter", he added. According to Clouden when he appeared in St. Vincent with his associate, they were notified by the Magistrate's Clerk, that the matter was heard the previous day and that an order was issued for the deportation of his clients.

"I saw the deportation order then and had the opportunity of seeing it a second time last Monday when I returned to St. Vincent", he said. Clouden disclosed that the Magistrate had ordered that both Victory and Cruickshank be kept safe in custody until arrangements were made for their deportation by releasing them into the custody of the Grenada Prison services.

Two weeks ago, the local attorney held a special meeting with Chief Prisons officer in St. Vincent, Brenton Charles who reportedly indicated to him that he should secure tickets for the departure of the men. Clouden said that he immediately visited LIAT's office in the Vincentian capital, Kingstown where he purchased tickets for his clients to return home.

"I handed the tickets to Chief Charles who observed that they were booked to depart St. Vincent on last Monday", he added. An upset Clouden said he was forced to speak with Charles last Wednesday after his clients were not allowed to leave the island.

He said the Vincentian Chief Immigration Officer has indicated that notwithstanding the Court's order to deport those men they will remain in prison and treated like escapees. "This to me is outrageous (since) those men were initially charged with illegal entry which is why the Magistrate ordered their deportation to Grenada.

"It will be unlawful to treat them like fugitives when they are not fugitives from St. Vincent and did not escape lawful custody in that jurisdiction. According to Clouden, he has been trying without luck to contact the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

He felt that this was nothing but an attempt to keep his clients in St. Vincent since he had picked up information that the authorities in Grenada had made certain requests to St. Vincent to hold those prisoners.

This newspaper was told that both Victory and Criuckshank have been complaining that they are made to sleep on the wooden floor, without any mattress (bedding), as well as kept locked up for twenty-three (23) hours a day.