Court dismisses COVID-19 related charge against Customs officer

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

A magistrate’s court has dismissed a case against a Customs officer, who held up a placard in the capital during a protest against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate which came into effect in December 2021.

Magistrate John Ballah said that the prosecution had not provided any evidence to support the charge that Dave Crosby, 54, had organised, promoted, led, or addressed the January 14, 2022 protest, as the prosecution alleged.

Crosby was charged under section 10 of the Public Order Act, which gives a police officer the power to require anyone who is addressing or addressed a meeting taking place within 200 yards of certain premises, or who is or appears to the police officer to be an organiser or promoter of it, to disperse.

In his ruling, the magistrate said there were legal issues that the court felt were not addressed by either the prosecutor or defendant.

“The prosecution almost alluded to it. Those issues, I believe, are important to the matter. It is whether or not a protest falls under the Public Order Act. The Public Order Act clearly speaks to meetings and processions,” the magistrate said.