by Linda Straker
- Randy Isaac on domestic violence-related charges in New York
- As a cultural ambassador for Grenada, he holds an official passport
- His official passport can be revoked if matter brings disrepute to holder and Grenada
The Ministry for Culture is awaiting a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the arrest and charging of calypsonian Randy Isaac on domestic violence-related charges in New York, before a decision is made about revoking the official passport which Isaac holds.
After inquiries were made about the Ministry’s knowledge about the arrest which occurred at 1:16 am on 21 January 2021, Culture Minister Yolande Bain-Horsford said via text message, “We await a report to verify from Foreign Affairs; they are speaking now with their office overseas.”
According to the New York State United Court website, the case number is CR-002026-21KN and the arrest number is K21602831. The charge sheet shows 18 charges which include causing injury, physical contact, obstruction to breath and applied pressure and violating a protection order.
Isaac is a cultural ambassador for Grenada and, in that capacity, he is the holder of an official passport. The official passport does not allow for the holder to enjoy any form of diplomatic immunity, but it grants the holder some privileges when arriving at airports.
“For example, the holder of an official passport can be granted the privilege of quicker access through airports, but it does not grant diplomatic immunity if there is a violation of the law. The holder is just an official of the country,” said an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Cultural ambassadors are people whose occupation is within the creative industries and his or her outstanding achievement is recognised as valuable to the country. Anything that can bring disrepute to the holder and by extension the country, can result in revocation of the ambassadorship. When presented to an immigration officer upon arrival to a country where it is recognised, the passport holder can expect to receive easier and or faster processing at immigration and customs clearance points.
Not all countries recognise official passports but wherever they are recognised, the holder receives official state to state treatment, because the holder is representing the country.
Once Isaac’s matter is deemed to bring disrepute to himself and the country, the Cabinet will revoke the ambassadorship and rescind the official passport. He is scheduled to appear at the Kings County Criminal Court on 2 March 2021 to answer the charges.
I am not surprised by the behavior of some of these men, in defence of Randy Isaac. If this is the example he is portraying to the up and coming young men in Grenada and elsewhere; his ambassadorial passport and the cultural advantages he enjoys should be terminated forthwith, whether or not he is found guilty he has brought shame on Grenada and brought our country into disrepute. And it is for this reason that he should no longer be allowed to hold such esteem position in our country. Let the courts decide his innocence or guilty. We on the other hand reject him as a Cultural Ambassador of our country. There are many other citizens doing our country proud.
What is much more distressing and frustrating, men are coming to Isaac’s defence…..that he should be found guilty. No! No!! No!!!
We want our menfolk to love and respect our women ….and men, to stand up against violence in all its forms: Sexual, financial, verbal against their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives and lovers. He has expressed his attitude to women in the only way he knows how because men have been allowed to get away with it, encouraged by the shame, silence and blame culture of our victimised women for far too long. No doubt had he behaved in this abusive fashion in his own country it would have remained, where it always has, in the closet, while our sisters snigger and whisper.
Whether he is found guilty or not we should keep this at the forefront of our aims and objectives to openly speak of the abuse women suffer and by extention their children at the hands of their spouses.
SHAME ON YOU RANDY ISAAC!
Bu
BUt
Randy, I so disappointed in you. Raise a hand to a woman, you not a man.
If guilty what an embaressment for Grenada. These kind of low lifes deserves a long imprisonment. If guilty that is.
What about innocent until proven guilty by a jury of your peers? I in no way support any form of violence but by revoking the passport it seems as if the ministry has already tried him and found him guilty.
I see a phenomenal cultural background there
So I would strongly recommend that we wait and see what the outcome is
If the individual is charge for any of the alleged
Charges then the county will have to decide if he is the right candidate for such post
One thing we don’t want is an unsuitable candidate.