BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - SUPERINTENDENT OF PRISONS Juni Hodge has confirmed that he is on his way out of the penal institution, as he recently received word that his services would no longer be needed on completion of his vacation.
Hodge was sent on vacation back in October, and he told SKNVibes News that he was still the prison boss.
Recently, however, rumours began to circulate that he had received his termination notice from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Osmond Petty.
In an invited comment, Hodge confirmed his exit from the prison, explaining that at the moment he is still the Superintendent but that is until completion of his vacation on Thursday, December 7, 2017.
“As it stands, I am still the Superintendent, but I met with Mr. Petty on Friday last and he told me he was told to inform me, or he was advised to inform me, that when my vacation expires I must not return to the prison,” Hodge told SKNVibes this morning (Nov. 29).
According to the embattled Superintendent, he did not receive any formal notice of his impending termination from the Permanent Secretary. Instead, he told SKNVibes News that “I am waiting for that then I can do what I have to do”.
Questioned on if he was given any formal reason for his termination, Hodge stated that “some of the senior officers made some allegations against me, one of which stated that they and I are untenable. So, as a result of that, he (the PS) was advised to inform me that I should not return to the prisons”.
“But what I find rather alarming, is that if someone is in charge and a junior rank feels that he has a scene about the person - that is an institution where rank matters - and the rank must be respected, irrespective of how you feel about the person. But I would say there is more to it.”
He recommended that this media house keeps its eyes peeled and its ears to the ground as the details would come forth.
Further, SKNVibes News asked Hodge if he was told from whom the instructions came, to which he responded in the negative.
This media house sought to contact the Permanent Secretary for a comment but was informed that he is currently off island and it would be so for the remainder of the week.
