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Journalist attacked by Public Works employee
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| Rawle Nelson |
| By: Stanford Conway, SKNVibes |
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A journalist was yesterday morning (June 16) attacked by an employee of the Public Works Department on Wellington Road while investigating an issue concerning the People’s Action Movement (PAM).
Rawle Nelson, a free-lance journalist attached to the Sun St. Kitts-Nevis Newspaper, had his camera taken away and hit on the hand by Bernard Morton, an employee of the Public Works Department.
At about 10:30 this morning, SKNVibes responded to a report that executive members of the PAM were engaged in a dispute over the repossession of a number of billboards removed some months ago from various areas on St. Kitts and were stored at the Public Works Department.
On arrival at the Department, this media house met Nelson at the southern gate of the compound engaged in discussion with a security personnel, who had denied him access to the area where a number of yellow-painted billboards were seen.
SKNVibes requested permission to enter the compound, within which the Political Leader of the PAM, Lindsay Grant, and his Deputy, the Hon. Shawn Richards were seen close to the yellow-painted billboards.
The security personnel, whose breath reeked with alcohol, also denied this media house access to the compound. “I get meh orders not to let nobody in here, so nobody aint coming in and I locking de gate,” the security personnel said.
When asked the name of the person who could have granted permission for access to the compound, the security personnel refused to answer and proceeded to secure the gate with a chain and padlock.
After his failed attempts to open the padlock in order to secure the gate, Morton, who at that time was outside the compound, opened the gate, took the chain, padlock and key from him and was attempting to lock the gate when Nelson decided to take a picture to the entrance of the compound.
Morton told Nelson not to take his picture, to which Nelson replied that he was taking a picture of the gate and not him.
Morton opened the gate and threw a punch towards Nelson who evaded it by stepping backwards. He then re-entered the compound to continue what he was doing and, Nelson, once more focused his lens on the gate.
This seemed to have aggravated Morton. He opened the gate and punched Nelson on his left hand, snatched the camera from him and retreated into the compound.
During the process, the camera came into contact with the gate which caused the batteries to fall on the ground. The camera was also damaged to some degree as well as Nelson’s tape recorder that fell on the ground during the altercation.
A police squad car appeared shortly after and Nelson reported the matter to the officers, who apprehended Morton and took him to the Basseterre Police Station.
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