BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE death of St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) employee Askeo Farrell is being investigated both internally and externally, a SCASPA official has confirmed.
Farrell - also known as Askeo Jeffers and ‘Jahred’ - died sometime between Friday (Mar. 28) and Sunday (Mar. 30) when his body was discovered trapped by the shaft of an elevator located at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.
SKNVibes understands that Jeffers was doing repair work on the elevator on Friday and was not discovered until around mid-morning on Sunday.
This publication understands that the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force had begun making investigations into the matter.
Chief Executive Officer of the SCASPA Johnathan Bass told SKNVibes that he is not in a position to make any pronouncement on the issue as investigations are ongoing.
“The matter is being investigated right now...Once the investigation is completed and we have all the reports, I’ll be in a better position to provide you with some (answers which you may have) questions which you may have. But at this stage I’m afraid I am unable to do that.
“This is being investigated externally and internally by independent people; an investigation where we are going to investigate it extensively...It is being investigated thoroughly. That is all I would say at this stage.”
Meanwhile, during a press briefing yesterday (Apr. 3), Minister of Tourism the Hon. Richard Skerritt informed that regarding Farrell’s death, SCASPA’s “Management made contact...with a company in North America that specializes in risk assessment surveys for the insurance industry”.
He explained that the company is “completely independent” and it would be assisting with the investigation.
The Minister further informed that an expert from that entity is expected to arrive on the island today (Apr. 4) “for an initial period of five days, during which time he will be conducting interviews and gathering information required for his review and analysis.”
And SKNVibes spoke to one of Farrell’s relatives who suggested that some measure of negligence might have played a major part in his death.
