Minister says it is about the environment in ‘DOE vs Zabaneh’ case.
Omar Figueroa
On Tuesday Primrose Gabourel and Dion Zabaneh were back in court because the Department of Environment slapped them with new charges. The D.O.E. had withdrawn the six charges against the seventy-six-year-old mother and her forty-three-year-old son earlier this year when they were charged for not adhering to stop orders for a development being carried out on a seashore property in Caribbean Shores. So, on Tuesday, the D.O.E. levied new charges for failure to obey an oral request as opposed to the previous charge of failure to obey a written enforcement notice. Attorney for the defendants, Emil Arguelles argued that the prosecution was attempting to have his clients charged for the same offenses which have been already withdrawn. It was also suggested that the defendants may be subjected to harsh action because they want to be made an example. Today we asked Minister of Environment about the matter, and while he was rather tight lipped, he said that it is being done for the environment.
Andrea Polanco
“The DOE seems to want to abuse their clients – taking them back to court I believe for a second or third time for the charge – now, they want to suggest that perhaps the DOE is coming extra hard on the Zabanehs because “deh dah big fish” and if it were a smaller man – they wouldn’t be facing this kind of action from the DOE?”
Omar Figueroa, Minister of Environment
Omar Figueroa
“No. I think the Department of Environment is just doing what we are mandated to do; to enforce the environmental law; protect the environment. The case may have fallen apart previously because of some technical issues but I think the folks at the department have looked at the issue and have tried to take it back to court.”
Andrea Polanco
“Are you confident that there will be a resolution on this matter because there seems to be – according to the defendants attorney – no the end of the DOE, there seems to be some issues?”
Omar Figueroa
“I am hoping that at the end of the day the environment will come out on top.”
