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Deported businessman arrives from BVI
British Virgin Islands (BVI) businessman Desmond ‘DA’ Alphonso was yesterday deported to his homeland Guyana after he was stripped of residency status from the island. Alphonso had lived in Tortola for some 40 years.
Alphonso arrived on Guyanese soil just around 11:30 yesterday via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, on a chartered flight from the BVI.
This newspaper was told that the man was accompanied by his brother, Tony Alphonso, and cousin, Romeo Alphonso.
Police sources said yesterday that a brief interview was done at the airport, and soon after Alphonso was taken away in a tinted police car to Eve Leary for further questioning.
It was reported that the authorities had served the businessman with a deportation order on Friday and wanted him to leave Sunday morning.
Relatives insisted that they needed time to sort out Alphonso’s business first.
It was indicated that ‘DA’ was not given time to fix his business, but that he does not anticipate any problems in getting his assets transferred to Guyana, a country he left when he was one year old.
The businessman was deported after he pleaded guilty to harbouring three wanted Jamaican men in 2007. He served a four-year sentence which ended on July 29, 2009, but was on remand over a murder charge.
In March 2010, following a two-week trial for the murder of Christopher Bailey, one of the wanted men, Alphonso was unanimously found not guilty by a nine-member jury.
However, on April 1 of last year, Alphonso lodged an appeal against the deportation order which was issued under the hand of the previous Governor, David Pearey. Alphonso then filed a motion challenging the constitutionality of the appeal procedure.
The businessman’s main contention was that the Governor ought not to hear his appeal as he was the same person who made the deportation order and consequently, he would not be impartial, which infringes Article 16 (9) of the BVI Constitution.
Businessman Desmond ‘DA’ Alphonso (with cap), shortly after his arrival yesterday
However, Justice Indra Hariprashad-Charles in her ruling said the Governor who made the deportation order has since retired and the Territory now has a new Governor.
Then in May following an appeal for Justice Hariprashad-Charles’ ruling to be stayed, the full Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean upheld her decision paving the way for the deportation hearing.
Up to press time Alphonso was still being detained at the CID headquarters for questioning.
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