An English visitor, who was ordered to pay costs to the District ‘A’ Traffic Court and then left with immigration officials, will be allowed to remain in Barbados for the time being.
An urgent application was made to the High Court last week on Jordie Ntukila Divungula’s behalf, by attorney-at-law Keren Prescott.
On Wednesday, acting Magistrate Elwood Watts ordered the 20-year-old student to pay $300 costs to the court, after he admitted having four grammes of marijuana on him on Tuesday. Police found the marijuana after they searched a car in which he was travelling.
Watts felt that since Divungula was leaving the island soon, the best option would be to impose a fine. However, attorney-at-law Samuel Legay rose and spoke as a friend of the court. He asked the acting magistrate to consider costs rather than a fine, since the imposition of a fine would amount to a convictionm, which could affect Divungula’s chances of not only returning to Barbados, but visiting other countries as well.
No conviction was recorded against him and the cost was paid. However, since Immigration officials wanted to interview Divungula afterwards, he left with them.
When Prescott, who does not know Divungula, saw him leave the courtroom in handcuffs and knowing that he had no conviction, she felt that it “just cannot be right”. So she made her way to Grantley Adams International, where Divungula was waiting to be deported. She spoke to him there and subsequently made the application.
The result of that late application is that Divungula will be allowed to remain here until July 31, when the attorney has to return to court for the substantive application to be heard.
“I am pleased that he has gotten to enjoy the Crop Over activities,” Prescott said.