TORONTO – A former head of security for the late Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Douglas won a bid for refugee status claiming he will be ‘politically persecuted’ if deported to his Caribbean nation.
Errol Theophile, of Toronto, arrived from the U.S. in 2008 and filed a failed refugee claim which was successfully appealed to the Federal Court of Canada.
The court granted him last week a new hearing by an Immigration and Refugee Board.
Theophile was a former member of the Dominica Labour Party and claimed he was persecuted for political reasons by “thugs” belonging to the opposition United Workers Party.
Court heard Theophile was responsible for Douglas’ personal security during his eight-months in office.
Douglas and the now Senator Anne Cools were involved in a 1969 anti-racism sit-in at Montreal’s Sir George Williams University, now Concordia University, that led to the occupation and destruction of the school’s computer centre when police broke up the protest.
The 10-day sit-in to protest alleged discrimination at the school ended with $2 million worth of damage to computers.
Douglas was convicted of arson and sentenced to 18-months in jail. He returned to Dominica to become prime minister in 2000.
Cools was sentenced to four months in jail for participating in a sit-in, but was later pardoned.
After Douglas’ death, Theophile obtained a top job with Dominica Air and Seaport Authority with the help of new prime minister, Pierre Charles.
“The applicant, although an experienced mechanic, lacked the education credentials that would usually be required for this position,” Judge James Russell said in a decision. ”It was a patronage appointment and the applicant was very well-paid.”
Theophile said he fled to Canada after being beaten four times in two years by “opposition thugs.” Once he was injured and required eight stitches.
“He suspects that these thugs were motivated by jealousy of the wealth that he enjoyed as a result of his position at the Air and Seaport Authority,” Russell said.
In one assault, “ruffians” invaded his house and beat him into unconsciousness. He regained consciousness three days later and remained in hospital for six weeks.
Theophile said Dominica has a population of 72,500 people and anyone is capable of finding him.
No date has been set for a new hearing.
