Given the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) asking the Dominican Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to consider discontinuing the 2015 treating case brought by the opposition against PM Roosevelt Skerrit and eight other politicians, or have the case brought before a magistrate appointed by the DPP for trial – DLP legal representatives are asking the DPP to have the case thrown out for a number of reasons.
In a letter sent to the DPP, the DLP legal team, as well as lawyers for the eight accused, contended that there are no valid chances that the opposition will win the case in court and that the complainants failed to comply with Section 56 of the House of Assembly (Elections) Act that demands that the statutory offence of treating be disclosed.
The lawyers stated that the complainants have also failed to prove an instance of treating where the defendants actually influenced voters to vote for someone different, adding that organizing a concert during an election does not indicate treating. They also contended that the complainants have not been able to prove that the defendants provided free food or drinks to people who came for the concert.
Furthermore, the legal team noted that prosecuting alleged election treating case six years after an initial election which has been overtaken by a subsequent national election would result in an abuse of court processes. They also argue that it is against national security and political cohesion to charge people who contested but failed parliamentary elections and who are no longer involved in active politics.
Defendants in the treating case are PM Roosevelt Skerrit, Reginald Austrie, Rayburn Blackmoore, Cassius Darroux, Justina Charles, Kathleen Daniel, Ian Douglas, Johnson Drigo, Colin McIntyre, Roselyn Paul, Ian Pinard, Petter St. Jean, Ivor Stephenson, Kelver Darroux, and Kenneth Darroux.
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