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HOME	FEBRUARY 12th, 2005

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Magistrate attached to the western division Tamara Gill-Ferguson has handed down judgement in favour of the Environmental Department in the Ministry of Health against St. John's business man Reuben Rogers.

Gill-Ferguson fined Rogers $1125.00 or in default will go to Prison for one month after a Complaint Without Oath was made in her court against him by Environmental Officer for the area Andy Frank.

Rogers, who operates a repair shop on Central Depradine Street had a Statutory Abatement notice of the indiscriminate dumping of old appliances in the area slapped on him. According to health officials, the appliances include stoves, washing machines, refrigerators and tyres that created an unsightly over growth of bush and trees which are left uncovered and breeding mosquitoes.

An official told GRENADA TODAY that the situation had created a public nuisance and was in violation of the Public Health Act Chapter 263 section 17 (a) and (g).

He spoke of the Ministry deciding to take action against the St. John's resident following complaints from the public about the unsightliness of the area and the problems they had been experiencing with mosquitoes. In February 2003 a letter from the Public Health Department was sent to Rogers when he was asked to remove all of the unnecessary materials and to deposit them in an approved receptacle or site, cut down all overgrown bushes and clean the premises to the satisfaction of the Health Department.

Reports are that the businessman failed to comply resulting in the court matter. On the 20 August 2003 a Statutory Abatement Notice was served again on Rogers requesting that he remove all nuisances within 14 days in which he again refused to comply. A health official told GRENADA TODAY that after two failed attempts the Anglican Church in the area was asked to intervene to bring some amicable resolution to the situation but to no avail.

According to the Health official, in November last year, a complaint Without Oath was made to Gill-Ferguson against the businessman for not complying to the requisition of the Statutory Abatement Notice contrary to Section 17(a) and (g) of the Public Health Act volume vi chapter 263. When the matter came up in the Court for the first hearing on December 21st last year, Rogers was given 14 days to clean up the property to the satisfaction of the Health Department by Gill- Ferguson in which he failed to comply.

The matter came up again in court last Friday where evidence was given by Frank and Supervisor for Public Health in the Western Division Joe Gibbs as well as Rogers. Upon hearing the evidence the Magistrate fined the businessman $1125.00 to be paid in 4 weeks or in default spend one month in Prison.

He was also fined an additional $25 for each day the area remains unclean and was given March 4 to complete the entire cleaning process. A Health official told this newspaper that the Department is pleased with the outcome of the court proceedings since it is the first time such a large sum was handed down in a judgement of such a nature.