Ex DPP Wayne L. Rajbansie lashes out @ Media & Magistrate Richards
Hostile to some media house
In a press statement sent out to selective members of the local media, who he tried to silence while he held the job of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Rajbansie continues to lash out.
The former DPP accused one media house of publishing "inaccurate and misinformed” articles about him, which he claimed in his latest rant, was designed to injure his reputation.
He made clear, according to him, that he was not fired or denied a contract renewal to the post of DPP in his press release.
According to Mr Rajbansie, “it was my decision not to seek a renewal of the contract.” The now controversial former DPP also alleged, “five months prior to the termination of the contract, I informed the Department of Human Resources, in writing, that I will not seek a further renewal.”
Rajbansie fires back @ Magistrate Richards
In a stinging public statement on his performance, current Senior Magistrate Tamia N. Richards, while addressing the opening of the 2016-2017 Law Year in the Virgin Islands, told the legal fraternity “I can count on my one hand the number of occasions I saw him in court,” referring to Mr Rajbansie.
In his press statement covering various issues and sent to selective media houses, Rajbansie did not call the Senior Magistrate’s name, however, he said, “It is unfortunate that a judicial officer could make the injudicious statements reported to have been made at the ceremonial opening of the law term 2016/2017.”
In defending his performance as DPP he claimed “these remarks serve only to bring that office and the administration of justice into disrepute.”
The DPP, who many claim was an ‘in the office type DPP’, went on to list all the cases where he appeared in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council.
Besides his lack of frequent appearing in court as alleged by Senior Magistrate Richards, Mr Rajbansie will be remembered for being hostile to press freedom in the Virgin Islands.
Hostile to press freedom
On July 24, 2015 the editors of various news companies in the Virgin Islands (VI) including BVI News Online, The Island Sun Newspaper, The BVI Beacon, Virgin Islands News Online and BVI Platinum News were summoned to appear in the High Court of Justice (Criminal Division).
The ‘Summons to Defendants’ did not state who was the Complainant and what the Complaint was exactly about. Many persons in the media, legal fraternity and civil society labeled his action an abuse of power.
However, former Attorney General and Deputy Premier R. Dancia Penn QC, OBE, who appeared in court for one of the media houses, blasted Mr Rajbansie’s action as a breach of natural justice. Mrs Penn said persons cannot be called before the court, irrespective of who they are, without being told what the nature of the complaint is. “They did not know who or what the Complainant was. They did not know what the particulars were. These are fundamentals of natural justice and that is part of why I am convinced we are going down a slippery slope.”
In an emotional tone, the senior and respected legal practitioner said the men and women of the media should not have been brought to the court on a summons of this nature and subjected to what she thought was “quite a tirade” on them.
Over his tenure in the VI as DPP, Mr Rajbansie has also sought to get the news media to take down published stories online, claiming that it could alter the outcome of cases.
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24 Responses to “Ex DPP Wayne L. Rajbansie lashes out @ Media & Magistrate Richards”
No more squeezing b*lls here. You don't see Super Cop got back his job! Let he go squeeze Roti and Doubles in he mouth.