Category: CANA News

The Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) Tuesday warned the public against sharing their BiMPay verification codes, tokens, passwords or other security credentials following a reported social engineering fraud involving an online loan offer.

‘There is no indication that the BiMPay platform itself was compromised. The fraud occurred after the customer provided a third party with a mobile verification code, an email verification code, and a BiMPay token in connection with a purported loan application,’ the CBB said in a statement, adding that ‘a transaction was subsequently made without the customer’s authorisation.’

BiMPAY, which was launched in June this year, is the country’s national instant payment system allowing consumers and businesses to send and receive money in real time and the CBB said that the BiMPay verification codes and tokens are security information.

‘They should only be used by the customer for their own BiMPay registration and access and should never be given to another person. The Bank particularly cautions customers against requests received through social media, messaging platforms or other online channels.’

The Central Bank said that a legitimate lender or financial institution does not need a customer’s BiMPay verification codes, BiMPay token, or password in order to provide a loan or make a payment to the customer.

It said customers should independently verify the identity and legitimacy of any person or organisation requesting financial or personal information, particularly where the approach originates through social media.

‘Anyone who has disclosed a BiMPay verification code, token, password or other security information to another person should contact their financial institution immediately and take steps to secure or disable their BiMPay access.

‘Anyone who believes they have been the victim of fraud should also report the matter to the Barbados Police Service,’ the Central Bank said, adding that it continues to work with participating financial institutions to protect users and strengthen awareness of social engineering and other forms of payment fraud.

The Bank of Nevis Limited says it has been advised by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to take all necessary measures after the financial institution informed customers of at least two cybersecurity developments that have been identified by law enforcement partners.

In a statement, the Bank of Nevis Limited said that the law enforcement authorities have reported that ‘these pose an immediate and significant threat to customers of licensed financial institutions’ within the nine-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) .

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin islands.

‘As a consequence, The Bank of Nevis and other financial institutions have been advised by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, to take all necessary measures and to sensitize customers about ways to protect their online activities.’

The Bank of Nevis Limited said that the first threat involves a recent aggressive wave of smishing attacks, whereby perpetrators impersonate local commercial banks through deceptive text messages designed to induce customers into divulging their online banking credentials, one-time passwords (OTPs) and other authentication information.

‘The second involves the misuse of social media marketplaces, where customers seeking to purchase vehicles and other goods, or engage in construction, trucking, transportation, and other services, are deceived into disclosing their online banking credentials or conducting customer initiated mobile top-ups under false pretense.’

The bank has since urged customers to ‘report all suspicious activities’ to the financial institution.

The Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBB) has described as ‘false, misleading, and not supported by any credible source’ reports circulating on social media that the United States will impose sanctions on a ‘domestic bank operating within our jurisdiction’.

The CBB said that it is aware of the reports circulating on ‘social media and messaging platforms, falsely alleging that the stability and operations of major domestic commercial banks are under threat due to proposed United States Sanctions on a ‘major bank’ operating within our jurisdiction. ‘The public is advised that these claims are false, misleading, and not supported by any credible source,’ the CBB said, adding that it ‘understands the concerns the misinformation in this flyer would raise with individuals and businesses with funds in the banking system, and assures the public that the domestic financial sector remains stable, secure, and fully operational’.

The CBB said that September 10, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Secretary advised that the United States intended to sanction an unnamed ‘large bank’ on Monday, September 14, 2026, ‘as a part of a broader U.S. campaign aimed at cutting off the financial networks that support the Government of Iran.

‘The banks and financial institutions targeted under this campaign to date have been entities linked to Iranian sanctions evasion in other parts of the world. None of these actions relate to The Bahamas, to the Bahamian financial system, or to any bank licensed to operate in The Bahamas.’

The Central Bank said that the three Canadian-affiliated banks referenced in the erroneous flyer ‘are well-established and capitalised institutions, licensed and supervised by the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ adding ‘they continue to operate normally, with all banking services functioning as usual.

‘Beyond this, the Bahamian banking system is sound, well-regulated, and compliant with the global sanctioning regime, in accordance with regulations for anti-money laundering (AML), counter financing of terrorism (CTF) and anti-proliferation financing (APF). Moreover, Bahamian dollar deposits in all banks and credit unions are protected under guarantee, by the Deposit Insurance Corporation of The Bahamas.’

The Central Bank said it is urging members of the public not to act or make decisions on unverified social media rumours.

‘They should rely on trusted, official sources for such information, such as the Central Bank of The Bahamas, their licensed bank, the Deposit Insurance Corporation, and official Government communications. The public should also be cautious against forwarding such circulars.

‘The Central Bank takes the circulation of false financial information seriously, given its potential to cause unwarranted public concern. It will continue to communicate clearly and promptly should there be any development that genuinely affects depositors in The Bahamas, it added.

Less than 24 hours after President Irfaan Ali said he had invited the two major opposition parties in the Parliament to a meeting, one has responded by rejecting the invitation outright, while the other said its participation will depend on the agenda.

Ali told a news conference on Tuesday that he had extended the invitation to the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party of Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) headed by former opposition leader Aubrey Norton.

Ali told reporters that he had invited members of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Economic Services Committee to meet to discuss critical national issues, including developments on Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the recent agreement with the United States for Guyana to receive third-country nationals, and Guyana’s economic growth.

‘I believe in working and letting everyone understand what we are doing at the policy level, so we will have those two meetings later this week. It’s going to be broad, a broad agenda…,’ Ali told reporters on Monday.

Work on the long-awaited Grenada Aquatic Centre is advancing, with the project now entering a key phase of pool installation, the Grenada Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) has announced.

GASA, working with the Government of Grenada through the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Sport, said all containers carrying pool equipment and materials have arrived.

International pool supplier Myrtha Pools has been contracted, and a member of its specialised team recently completed pool piping installation ahead of the slab-pouring stage.

Structural work has also progressed significantly. About 300 cubic yards of concrete were poured at the end of the first week of September.

Once the slab cures over 20 days, the site will be prepared for pool installation led by Myrtha, with local project and government technical personnel helping ensure international standards are met.

The project is overseen by a Pool Committee chaired by Veda Bruno and including Gail Purcell, Peron Johnson, Reyan Neckles and Paul Antoine. Partners include World Aquatics, Panam Sports, the International Olympic Committee, the Government of Grenada and the Grenada National Lotteries Authority.

GASA said the facility will transform swimming and aquatic sports in Grenada by providing a safe, modern environment for training and competition, strengthening athlete pathways and supporting learn-to-swim programmes, water safety, coaching, regional and international competitions, talent identification and multi-sport training.

However, GASA noted that outstanding needs remain, including washrooms and changing facilities, a spectator seating pavilion, an electronic timing system and other essential equipment. Continued national, regional and international support will be critical.

GASA thanked the Government of Grenada, World Aquatics, Panam Sports, the IOC and the Grenada National Lotteries Authority for their support. It also recognised the 1990s GASA Executive led by Derick Steele for laying important groundwork for the sport.

The Guyana government says the rapid expansion of the economy has placed unprecedented pressure on the existing electricity infrastructure as it acknowledged the reliability of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) network.

‘We cannot promise that there will never be another interruption… but not what we are having now. Unacceptable,’ President Irfaan Ali said, adding that the solution requires ‘major investment… in a comprehensive way’.

Ali told a news conference that his administration is aware of the challenges facing the country’s electricity system and is committed to major investment to strengthen the national grid.

‘We cannot continue with an unreliable system,’ he said, citing an independent report from the Dominican-Republic based InterEnergy, which has a corporate presence across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The government had commission the study to assess the system and President Ali said peak demand on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System rose from about 205 megawatts in 2024 to 242.6 megawatts in August 2026.

This represents an 18 per cent increase, which is more than five times the 3.4 per cent average growth rate across the Latin America and Caribbean region.

The report projects electricity demand could rise by approximately 138 per cent by 2029, while GPL is expected to add more than 62,000 new customers as homes, businesses and industries continue connecting to the grid.

President Ali said the government is absorbing rising fuel import costs, including an 86.8 per cent jump in diesel used for generation, through increased subsidies, so the increases are not passed on to consumers.

He said discussions held during his recent state visit to Qatar could result in a potential source of financing for the scale of investment required.

‘We have to make the investment, and this is one of the things Qatar also is ready to help on,’ he said, noting that billions of dollars have already being invested in generation, transmission and distribution upgrades.

President Ali said the upgrades include more than 360 kilometres of new high-voltage transmission lines, over 10 new substations, and grid modernisation measures such as advanced metering and battery energy storage.

InterEnergy has recommended an independent grid reliability task force, smart metering, additional generating capacity, and further transmission and distribution investment.

Less than 24 hours after President Irfaan Ali said he had invited the two major opposition parties in the Parliament to a meeting, one has responded by rejecting the invitation outright, while the other said its participation will depend on the agenda.

Ali told a news conference on Tuesday that he had extended the invitation to the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party of Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) headed by former opposition leader Aubrey Norton.

Ali told reporters that he had invited members of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Economic Services Committee to meet to discuss critical national issues, including developments on Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the recent agreement with the United States for Guyana to receive third-country nationals, and Guyana’s economic growth.

‘I believe in working and letting everyone understand what we are doing at the policy level, so we will have those two meetings later this week. It’s going to be broad, a broad agenda…,’ Ali told reporters on Monday.

But in separate statements, WIN said that parliamentarians are elected to represent the people of Guyana through their respective political parties and that opposition legislators ‘do so collectively under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, a constitutional office established to provide oversight and accountability to the Executive.

‘The President’s decision to bypass genuine engagement with the Leader of the Opposition and instead seek to engage individual parliamentary committees raises serious concern that this is an attempt to avoid meaningful engagement with the constitutional office and the person who holds it,’ WIN said in its statement.

It said also that it is seeking clarification from the Speaker of the National Assembly, including a request for an agenda or an indication of the purpose of the proposed meeting. WIN said that there was no meaningful response, and as such, the party’s Members of Parliament would not participate in the meeting.

‘This decision is also informed by the wider treatment of members and supporters of the political opposition in recent weeks, including the detention, the seizure of phones and vehicles, and degrading treatment of persons while in state custody. The three young men detained by the authorities were made to remain in a state of undress in a cell with other men; this constitutes a serious violation of human dignity and raises grave human rights concerns. We cannot ignore these developments and then participate as though normal institutional relations exist.’

APNU said while its legislators have no difficulty participating in a properly planned and organised meeting with the President aimed at advancing the interests of the Guyanese people ‘such meetings should take place before agreements are finalised and signed, so that participation can meaningfully influence national decisions.

‘Presenting the opposition with an accomplished fact and calling it consultation is an unacceptable fait accompli. Any such meeting must have a clear agenda and the relevant documentation, including proposed agreements, financing frameworks and assessments of their implications, so that all participants can engage in informed discussion in the national interest.

‘We therefore expect this information sufficiently in advance of any meeting to allow proper examination and preparation,’ APNU said, adding that as a principled opposition party in a democracy, it ‘must determine whether to attend the meetings proposed by the President according to the prevailing context and content.

‘Our decision cannot be reduced to an automatic acceptance or rejection of an invitation. We will assess whether there is a genuine opportunity to influence policy, obtain answers and secure improvements for the people we represent.

‘Attending a meeting after national decisions have already been made, with no genuine opportunity to change them, is not consultation. It is a dictatorial exercise seeking cover behind a poorly planned political photo opportunity. Attendance must never be misrepresented as endorsement, and legitimate disagreement must never be dismissed as opposition to development,’ said the APNU in its statement.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Office of the Attorney General have withdrawn their legal battle against 69 year-old Star Sabga, who had been placed under house arrest after she spent several weeks within the prison system under a Preventive Detention Order (PDO) during the state of emergency (SoE) that is due to expire on Thursday.

Lawyers representing the TTPS and the Attorney General’s Office outlined their position in an email on Monday indicating that they will no longer be proceeding with the substantive matter against Sabga, less han 72 hours after Appellate Judge Carla Brown-Antoine granted the State time to consider the future of the appeal, noting that it had effectively become academic following Sabga’s release. Earlier, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander had revoked the PDO against Sabga, who along with her neice Genevieve and her businessman husband, Dominic Hadeed, the managing director of Blue Waters Products Limited, were detained in connection with an alleged plot to murder government officials, including the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

All three were placed under PDOs at the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca, along the ast west corridor, on June 27. The Hadeeds were released on July 23 after Alexander revoked their PDOs. Sabga remained under house arrest from July 27 until her release on Thursday last week.

The Hadeeds’ initial bid for interim release was rejected by Justice Frank Seepersad but later upheld by a panel of the Court of Appeal, which questioned the justification advanced by Alexander for their continued detention under the PDOs.

However, another Court of Appeal panel, led by Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, stayed that ruling pending the outcome of the State’s final appeal before the United Kingdom-based Privy Council. The SoE Review Tribunal subsequently recommended the trio’s release.

The PDOs against the Hadeeds were eventually withdrawn after the Privy Council indicated that it would not hear the State’s appeal until October.

In late July, High Court Judge Vigel Paul ordered that Sabga be placed under the same house arrest conditions previously imposed by the initial Court of Appeal panel in relation to the Hadeeds. The TTPS and the Attorney General’s Office subsequently challenged that decision.

Sabga and the Hadeeds are now pursuing a substantive constitutional claim challenging their detention. They allege that they have been targeted by the Government because of their ethnicity and because of separate legal proceedings brought by the Hadeeds over attempts to terminate their leases for State-owned land.

They contend that their arrests followed what they describe as veiled threats made by Attorney General John Jeremie, during a parliamentary debate on extending the SoE.

Meanwhile, at least 25 people detained under PDO have signaled their intention to seek legal action against the state, according to attorney CJ Williams.

Williams told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper that his law chambers is currently representing at least 25 former detainees and that he expects that number to rise as more individuals seek advice on their legal options.

‘I would say approximately 25 minimum. However, from our clients inside, there are a number of persons who wish to come and ask ..what’s next,’ he told the newspaper, adding that each case would be assessed on its individual merits.

‘What I can say is that some persons have a clear-cut case where they ought to be entitled to some sort of compensation,’ Williams said, adding that a key consideration will be how Alexander exercised his discretion in authorising each PDO.

‘It all boils down to how a minister exercised his discretion on a case-by-case basis. It’s not like one shoe could fit all,’ Williams said.

Under the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026, which govern the issuance of PDOs, the government included a provision shielding the state from the type civil liability which followed the SoE in 2011.

‘No person shall be liable to any suit or action in respect of any act done under lawful direction and authority pursuant to the provisions of these Regulations,’ according to the

Regulations even though it provide for the possibility of compensation from public funds, at the discretion of the President, where a person is found to have suffered loss or damage as a result of the exercise of certain emergency powers

The Grenada Football Association (GFA) has relocated its 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League home fixtures to Trinidad and Tobago due to ongoing concerns over the playing surface at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

Grenada will host two League B, Group C doubleheaders at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on October 2 and 5 2026.

On the 2nd of October, St Kitts and Nevis face Cuba at 5pm, before Bonaire play Grenada at 8pm. On the 5th of October, Cuba meet St Kitts and Nevis at 5pm, then Grenada face Bonaire at 8pm.

The GFA said the decision followed repeated warnings, fines and compliance issues. It was fined over poor field conditions in September 2023 and May 2026.

Concacaf warned in August 2024 that the pitch was below League B standard and later cited dirt patches and waterlogged areas after September 2024 matches.

A Concacaf visit on August 5th 2026 deemed the pitch unsatisfactory.

The GFA said a revised field-maintenance plan and required lighting report had not been provided by the Grenada National Stadium Authority, making the venue ineligible for approval.

According to football officials in Grenada, relocating the matches avoids risking further sanctions and protects Grenada’s competition standing.

GFA President Marlon Glean said Grenada’s first preference is always to play at home, but repeated violations could bring more serious consequences.

Glean added that moving the matches costs money, removes home advantage and deprives supporters a chance to cheer on the National team.

The GFA estimates relocation will cost about EC$336,345.69. It stressed Grenada has not been formally banned from hosting Concacaf matches but acted proactively.

The association wants to work with government and stadium officials so international football can return once the venue consistently meets FIFA and Concacaf standards.

Former prime minister Stuart Young Tuesday said he is ‘certain’ that a number of innocent people had been detained under the state of emergency (SoE) due to expire on Thursday and called for opposition to the government’s plans to reintroduce Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) legislation after the previous attempt to pass the controversial crime-fighting measure failed in the Senate earlier this year.

Young in a video statement posted on his Facebook page, said that the current Kamla Persad-Bissessar government had over the past 12 months implemented the SoE, which suspended ‘all of our constitutional rights.

‘As you’ve seen, it allows the state to lock you up without an arrest warrant, to keep you detained under preventative detention order,’ said Young, who served as eighth head of government from March 17 , 2025, to May 1, 2025.

Young told his audience that it is a government minister, who has the sole power to issue a preventative detention order, a PDO, ‘thereby detaining any one of us.

‘Let’s look at the statistics. Apparently, over 800 PDOs were applied for. The minister approved over 700 of them. Over 500 PDOs were executed, meaning 500 persons were detained and put into detention centres without the right to bail, without the right to habeas corpus, once you’re under a PDO.

‘Importantly, out of that 500 plus people who were detained under PDO, only approximately 200 were criminally charged. We have seen in the last 12 months a number of citizens being detained, and they have been denied their rights.

‘And we now know that a number, it is possible and I am certain, a number of innocent citizens were detained under PDOs,’ Young said, accusing the ruling administration of abusing constitutional rights under these states of emergency.

He said the government is now focused on reintroduucing the ZOSO legislation questioning whether the government with its track record can ‘be trusted with these pieces of legislation that affect our constitutional rights, the movement of constitutional freedom of speech, etc.

‘The answer Trinidad and Tobago is no. So don’t let them fool you that this is about putting pressure on, bullying the opposition and bullying the independent senators,’ Young said, noting that the government ‘has shown us without a shadow of a doubt, they cannot be entrusted to uphold our constitutional rights’.

Last Friday, the government signaled its intention to revive the ZOSO legislation with Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander saying the legislation will form part of the government’s strategy to tackle crime after the SoE ends on Thursday September 17.

He said ZOSOs would combine security operations with community development in designated areas, providing what he described as ‘special measures to uphold the rule of law, public order, citizens’ security and public safety’.

Alexander said the approach should not be viewed solely as a law enforcement measure, arguing that security interventions must be paired with efforts to address conditions in affected communities.

‘The Zones of Special Operations is not simply about sending law enforcement into a community. It is about security and community development working together,’ he said.

The government’s move follows the defeat in January of the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026, after it failed to secure the required three-fifths majority in the Senate. Parliament records the bill as defeated.

The bill had faced criticism over human rights concerns and safeguards surrounding the proposed powers. Under the bill, the Prime Minister would have been able to designate communities as Zones of Special Operations, with joint police and Defence Force operations permitted within those areas.

The proposed measures included warrantless searches, curfews of up to 72 hours and detention powers. The bill also provided for a Social Committee to coordinate interventions including housing, healthcare and infrastructure.

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has already criticised the government’s decision to bring the legislation back, describing the move as an attempt to create a permanent expansion of State power.