Former Prime Minister of Dominica Edison James was released on EC$50,000 bail on Friday after a brief detention in a magistrate’s court holding cell.
James, 80, spent an estimated 20 minutes in custody after being committed to stand trial at the High Court on a charge of incitement.
The charge stems from a 2017 United Workers Party (UWP) rally where calls were allegedly made for current Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to resign. James served as prime minister from 1995-2000 and has been central to the incitement case along with former opposition leader Lennox Linton and economist Dr. Thomson Fontaine.
Magistrate Michael Laudat dismissed a no case submission filed on James’ behalf.
James later stated publicly that he expected this outcome, saying “I always expected him to send this matter to the High Court.” He accused Laudat of being “under pressure” as a magistrate on contract handling political cases.
James described his brief detention, claiming Laudat was “bent on sending me to jail.” He called the experience a first, stating “I have never been in a cell before, but life goes on.” Police reportedly felt uncomfortable escorting the former PM to the holding cell.
Linton, who faces his own incitement trial next week, said he was surprised at Laudat’s decision given James’ perfect court attendance record. He called the detention an “embarrassment” and the matter “simple.”
Both James and Linton have called for support for UWP protests on February 25th. James stated, “This is not a matter of we fighting down Skerrit …we are fighting for Dominica.”