This story has been updated HERE.

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas-born Jean Rony Jean-Charles was sensationally arrested and taken to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre this afternoon having returned to the country on a court-ordered and state-issued travel document.

His arrest follows an emergency stay of Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hilton's landmark ruling ordering his return, which Justice Hilton reportedly granted while Mr Jean-Charles was in the air travelling back to the Bahamas from Haiti.

Attorney General Carl Bethel confirmed to The Tribune he requested the stay after he learned Mr Jean-Charles' landing was "imminent".

Mr Bethel said Mr Jean-Charles' homecoming broke an agreement he made with his lawyer Fred Smith, to argue a stay of the order before a judge at 3pm on Monday.

Mr Smith emphatically denies making such an agreement and maintains he advised officials he would continue to try to bring his client back at the earliest opportunity. Infact the only knowledge the State had of Jean Reny's return was when Mr Smith notified them he was en route.

Mr Bethel said: "Senior counsel (Fred Smith) and I agreed we would argue before a judge at 3pm after lunch. He decides to bring the man in knowing that we have an application and the time, and knowing that if he did what he tried to do today it would have the effect of making government's application futile.

"The judge knowing that landing was imminent issued a stay of the order in these circumstances, thus making his landing unlawful, and he is subject to court further ruling on monday," Mr Bethel said.

Mr Jean-Charles travelled to the country on a Flamingo Air flight from Cap-Haitian, Haiti, which landed around 3pm.

He was stopped by Immigration officers and detained for nearly two hours before he was taken to a bus and transported to the CRDC.

The Tribune has the full exclusive inside story, pictures and video of Jean Rony's return which will be featured in Monday's edition and online.

• See Monday’s Tribune for more.