Court to decide on fate of Venezuelan boat men

Andres Dominguez, the fifth Venezuelan arrested on September 23, 2007 after he and his fellow nationals were found in the waters off Union Island, was on Wednesday charged with

discharging a firearm at Leading Seaman Bramgurgon Glasgow.{{more}}

The charges were laid the day after an altercation at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, between Dominguez’s lawyer Bayliss Frederick and police officers. Dominguez had been a patient there, nursing gunshot wounds.

When Dominguez appeared before Coroner Stephen Huggins at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, he was not required to enter a plea until yesterday when the matter was supposed to go before Senior Magistrate Donald Browne.

Acting on behalf of Dominguez, Frederick told the court that the magistrate had already struck out the case against his client after the prosecution informed the court that there was no case against him.

“The court has to exercise its jurisdiction today in determining if the prosecution has the right to proceed with the charges of Mr. Dominguez,” Associate of the Frederick’s attorneys, Shiraz Aziz urged Huggins on Wednesday.

Aziz also pointed out that senior Magistrate Donald Browne is about to rule on a no-case submission for the other four Venezuelans. They will know the outcome of their cases today. (SB)