Mr. Speaker on 13 March 2015 there was a report in The
Tribune by Rashad Rolle which addressed the complaints of the wife of Jamaric Green
who is incarcerated in Cuba. He is a Bahamian citizen. Mrs. Antonia Green is
quoted as saying the following: that letters were written to the Minister of
National Security and the Minister of Foreign Affairs seeking their help.
The story then quotes her as saying: “I can’t believe
your spouse could have been arrested and convicted of a crime in another
country and no one from the government would make the effort to at least sit
down with you and address your questions.”
Mr. Speaker, this is the second time that this matter
has been addressed by me following on inquiries from the press. Earlier I
indicated to them that the narrative that was being told was not correct. The
narrative persists however and so I am now going to provide the House with the
full report of this matter from our Ambassador in Havana.
It reads as follows:
The Embassy of The Bahamas in Havana, Cuba is fully
aware of the case of Mr. Jamaric Charmon Green, as well as familiar with Mr.
Green, as an Inmate.
During my tenure as Ambassador, over the past two years,
our Embassy has paid Consular Visits to Mr. Green and all Bahamian inmates
practically every month, which includes some visits by the Ambassador.
As recently as 3 March 2015, Mr. Green along with
other Bahamian Inmates received a Consular visit at the La Condesa
Penitentiary, in Guiness, Mayabeque Province, when he was visited by Consul
Saunders, Attache Carey and Dr. Armenteros.
During the aforementioned Visit, Mr. Green appeared to
be in good spirits and good health.He made no complaints during said
visit.
His wife, Mrs. Antonia Ferguson Green paid a visit to
the Embassy, two days later on 5 March 2015.Ambassador Adams met with
Mrs. Green for at least an hour, discussing all matters of her husband’s
incarceration since the time he was here in Cuba. Additionally, she took
the time to meet with their daughter, (name redacted) and to counsel about how
to deal with her father’s absence, to study her Spanish at the (name redacted) School
in Stapledon Gardens and to prepare to be able to speak Spanish with
her father when he returns to the Bahamas.
One of Mrs. Green’s primary concerns, was that her
husband felt that when he along with the others were initially detained in
Camaguey, that they were not visited by the Embassy personnel.
Dr. Armenteros (an attaché at the embassy) informed me
that he accompanied Consul Eugene Newry, on a Consular Visit to Camaguey to
meet with Mr. Green and the three other detainees on Thursday, April 12,
2012.At that time, they met with them personally as well as with the
prosecutor of the case and the Lt. Col. Director of
the Penitentiary, who informed them about the facts and
the ongoing investigations of their case.
Subsequently, Mr. Green and the other inmates were
brought into the room, where they had an opportunity to explain to everybody
the facts surrounding the circumstances of how they arrived in the inland
waters of Camaguey.
Consul Newry and Dr. Armenteros arrived at the Prison
for the meeting at
9:00 a.m.
and departed at
2:00 p.m.
On 12 October 2012 at 9:00 a.m. the four inmates were
scheduled toappear for trial at the Provincial Court in Camaguey.Unfortunately,
officials from the Embassy were not able to be present at that time.However,
it must be noted that even if they were present, they would not have been
allowed to make any intervention, nor assist them in any way,as their
Public Defender assumed the role of full representation, before the court, on
their behalf
Finally, please be advised of Mr. Green’s status, as
recorded by the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba, as at January 2013, is as
follows:
Name:
Jamaric
Charmon Green
Parents:
Wellington and Annie Green
Age:
28
years
Address:
Dorsett Alley, # 6A off West Street,
Nassau, Bahamas
Location:
La Condensa Penitentiary
Case No:
151/2012
Crime:
Drug
Trafficking
Sentence:
18 years
Regime:
Severe
Date
In:
22
February 2012
Date Out:
27 November 2029
Entitled to Conditional
Release:
30 November 2020
Reduction in
Sentence: 60 days (as at January
2013)
Time
In:
2
years 1 month (as January 2013)
Brief on
Crime:
With three other Bahamian citizens organized the transshipment of large volumes
of marijuana from Jamaica to the Bahamas.The boat was damaged during the
navigation at east of Cuba and they made the decision to launch the drugs into
the ocean and wait for some time to ask for help.
On the following day 68 packages of marijuana, with the
net weight of 423.05 kilograms, arrived in the Cuban coast at Sabinal Cay,
Camaguey.
Behaviour:
Good behaviour and participates in educational activities
Health
condition:
Good
Ministry of
Interior:
January/2013
Sir, I am satisfied that the Embassy of the Commonwealth
of The Bahamas in Havana, Cuba is doing all that it possible can, in the
circumstances to assist not only inmate, Jamaric Chamon Green, but all of the
other Bahamian Inmates under our charge.
----
That was the report of the Ambassador. I think it speaks
for itself. The embassy and the wider government stands available to assist if
there is anything further that the family believes can be done. However, we are
unable to neither ameliorate the sentence of the inmate nor interfere with the
legal procedures of Cuba.