GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2008

UNCLAS GRENADA 000068

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EFIN PHUM GJ
SUBJECT: GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2008



1. Embassy Grenada's weekly activity report (GWAR) provides a
little detail about events of interest that do not currently
merit longer reporting.


2. Begin GWAR text:

a) CapBank to be Reorganized
The Government of Grenada (GOG) filed a petition for the
reorganization of the financially-strapped Capital Bank
International Ltd., known locally as CapBank. According to the
Prime Minister's Office, the government is awaiting a date for
the hearing of the petition and said that it "is working to
protect the interest of depositors of the Bank".

Earlier this year, the Government requested the appointment of a
receiver to review bank operations to determine whether it could
be reorganized or should be closed following complaints from
customers that the bank refused requests for withdrawals. The
court has refused to allow the receiver's reports to be made
public.

b) MWAG calls for end to harassment of local journalists
The Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) called on all
political parties to "publicly condemn" the publication of a
leaflet that was critical of two journalists. The leaflet
appeared briefly in downtown St. George's. It is not clear how
many were released.

MWAG stated that it is deeply concerned about what appears to be
a deafening silence on the part of political organizations
regarding two senior journalists who the group alleged have been
targeted for political victimization and asked that all parts of
the government and civil society condemn the `vicious' leaflet.
Paris-based media group, Reporters without Borders published an
open letter to Prime Minister Keith Mitchell about the incident
on its website.

c) Government Warns Against Bad Checks
Grenada's Ministry of Finance is seeking legal advice: to
publicly name and prosecute persons who write bad checks to the
government. The Prime Minister's office released a statement
that the government "views with great concern the growing list
of returned cheques, now in its possession, totaling almost
EC$300,000 (US$111,100) as at April 7th, 2008" [sic]. The
Government reminded the public that issuing bad checks is a
criminal offence and that persons found guilty were liable to up
to five years imprisonment.

MCISAAC