Antigua and Barbuda’s International Affairs Minister, Chet Greene, has voiced concern over what he sees as a breakdown in regional diplomatic protocol after former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley was stopped twice by immigration authorities at VC Fowl Worldwide Airport with out the Antiguan authorities’s prior information.
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Rowley, who stepped down from workplace in March, revealed this week that he was flagged throughout two separate visits to Antigua—on July 13 and once more days later whereas returning to Trinidad from Montserrat. On each events, he was requested to attend by immigration officers and later advised he had been positioned on a listing, which he initially believed to be an Interpol watch listing.
He mentioned through the first encounter, regardless of presenting his diplomatic passport, he was escorted to an government lounge by Antiguan safety officers after what he described as a big delay. A second encounter allegedly concerned an identical cease, although a supervisor reportedly defined it was a case of mistaken identification.
Talking publicly for the primary time for the reason that experiences emerged, Minister Greene mentioned he was dissatisfied that Antigua and Barbuda—a sovereign Caribbean state—was neither knowledgeable of Rowley’s journey plans nor given the chance to formally acknowledge a former regional chief.
“There have been no provisions made particularly or notably for Dr Rowley passing by way of,” Greene mentioned. “And you already know that in itself is the place we’ve got a priority as a result of we wish to know that our protocol is prolonged to individuals who would have served this area.”
He described the incident as regrettable, noting that Antigua had now been drawn into what he termed a “native political matter”.
Greene declined to touch upon whether or not Dr. Rowley had, in reality, been positioned on any safety listing, noting that he had not spoken on to immigration authorities and that any additional remark can be inappropriate. “Antigua and Barbuda doesn’t have any feedback to make on this matter, which seemingly is, even from Dr Rowley’s account, an area political improvement,” he mentioned.
In Trinidad and Tobago, each the Police Commissioner and Homeland Safety Minister Roger Alexander have denied any authorities involvement in flagging the previous prime minister.
“Similar to all people else, I’m questioning from whence that got here,” Alexander mentioned. “Now we have no details about that. The Authorities of Trinidad and Tobago didn’t put anyone, from my information, on any watch listing… not that specific particular person (Rowley) or anybody else.”
He emphasised that Interpol operates independently, and that the federal government doesn’t intervene with its procedures. Whereas no formal investigation is deliberate, Alexander mentioned the matter should still be examined internally.
