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