THE REAL STORY BEHIND HOW MMCE TRIED TO OBTAIN A CBI MONOPOLY IN DOMINICA, AND THAT THE BATTLE IS NOT OVER

We wanted to follow up quickly on unfolding developments in Dominica, because things have moved at a rapid pace since the police investigation started. When the Government of Dominica opened a criminal investigation into Anthony Haiden and MMCE in response to the controversy, the company and its owner reportedly panicked immediately; Right after the investigation was initiated, MMCE quickly withdrew its Petition against the Government of Dominica on the 22nd, regarding the Attorney General, the Permanent Secretary, Range Developments, and ABL Holdings. Gone. MMCE also issued a retraction letter publicly stating they have no case against the Government of Dominica.

Unfortunately, the devil is in the details. What the deceptive MMCE press release did not disclose is that the filing, captioned " Notice of Discontinuance," filed by its attorney, DAWN YEARWOOD-STEWART, was a dismissal WITHOUT PREJUDICE. For the non-lawyers, it means MMCE is free to refile its Petition, without sustaining any effect regarding its claims and demands in present or future legal or administrative proceedings. Therefore, its PR efforts are not what they seem to be, and Dominicans should be aware of this fine legal point.

Now, an important clarification on the so-called "side letter" that MMCE was relying on to claim exclusive rights over all CBI projects; It's not a fabrication in the traditional sense. The letter does exist and was apparently signed by a staff member within the CBI unit. However, it carries no legal authority whatsoever. as It was never forwarded through the proper governmental channels, never approved through due process, and has no binding legal effect, in my humble opinion reinforced by decades of legal experience in the Caribbean. So, while it's a government document with a real signature, it's being treated as effectively fraudulent, because it was presented as something it was not. What Haiden appears to have done is take an ordinary internal letter from a low-level CBI staff member and attempt to leverage it as if it were an official government mandate granting him exclusive control. That was a serious miscalculation, and there will be consequences.

It's possible the government will wind down the investigation now that Mr. Haiden has backed off and is now beseeching the government to stop the investigation, but the damage has been done. His relationship with the Dominican government is, by all accounts, ccording to my sources, beyond repair. The practical consequences are likely to be felt going forward in how MMCE's CBI applications are handled. The expectation is that the CBI unit will now scrutinize each and every MMCE submission far more aggressively. Applications could also face administrative delays, due to a heightened review for errors, or outright rejection. MMCE may still be authorized to operate on paper, but in practice, many prominent Dominicans now believe that Haiden's misconduct has made himself radioactive with their government.