Barbados insists Shanique Myrie was paid
Bridgetown, Barbados (CMC) — Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite, says the money owed to Jamaican, Shanique Myrie, stemming from a ruling by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling has been paid, but the woman says she has not yet received the money.
Brathwaite said that the BDS$75,000 in non-pecuniary damage and BDS$2, 240 (One Barbados dollar =US$0.50 cents) in pecuniary damages were paid through the Barbados Central Bank Thursday and should have been credited to the account of Myrie’s lawyer a day later.
“We gave our word. We kept our word. Barbados remained committed to the CCJ. We always had every intention of complying with its judgment,” Brathwaite said Friday.
The CCJ had in October last year ruled that Myrie be awarded the damages after she had alleged that when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011 she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.
Myrie also claimed that she was subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian Immigration officer and asked the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment applicable to CARICOM citizens moving around the region.
Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister AJ Nicholson last week told the Senate that the ball was in Myrie’s court to lodge a complaint to the CCJ about Barbados’ lack of compliance despite a promise by the country’s Prime Minister Freundel Stuart three months ago that payment would be made.
But Brathwaite had promised earlier this week that the money would be paid as soon as it is released by the Treasury.
“I’ve committed that I will speak to the Central Bank and have the money remitted to her attorney’s account, and my word is my bond. It will be done this week.”
But one newspaper in Barbados on Saturday quoted Myrie and her lawyer saying they haven’t seen the money yet.
“I don’t know about that. I don’t know about that as yet. My lawyer has not confirmed with me as yet,” Myrie was quoted as telling the Saturday Sun newspaper.