BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AN officer, who had served in the Drug Squad before his transfer, has brought the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force into further disrepute concerning the professionalism and integrity of some of its members.
Kern Cabey of Parray’s Village, St. Peters was recently slapped with two charges – larceny and possession with intent to injure.
Information reaching SKNVibes states that sometime last week during an internal investigation at the Basseterre Police Station, Cabey exited the premises without permission but was subsequently taken back the following day.
The High Command is tight-lipped on the issue and has taken this media house on a ‘roller coaster ride’ in confirming the matter and providing details of it. However, it is no secret that the officer has been charged.
The substantive Force Public Relations Officer, Inspector Vaughan Henderson, had informed media practitioners that he would have been on overseas duty and “any media queries should be directed to ACP Joseph Richardson or DCP Stafford Liburd”.
On Friday, July 2, SKNVibes contacted ACP Richardson for a comment, but he declared that DCP Liburd was the appropriate senior officer to provide information on the matter. DCP Liburd could not be reached at the time, so Commissioner Austin Williams was contacted and he also referred SKNVibes to his Deputy.
Contact was finally made with DCP Liburd, who categorically stated that he could not have made any pronouncement on the matter without the Commissioner’s approval.
The Commissioner was again contacted this morning (Jul. 4), was told what his Deputy said and the ‘roller coaster ride’ continued. COP Williams said he was on vacation and DCP Liburd should have provided the required information. However, DCP Liburd refused and noted that the COP’s vacation would commence on Monday, July 5 and there was no written document authorising him to do so.
This ‘roller coaster ride’ has therefore left SKNVibes with not much details to keep the general public informed, as it is not known if the officer is on bail or if he has been remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison until his trial.
On Thursday, January 14, 2010, this media had received information that about 6:45 p.m. three armed, unidentified men had stolen a shotgun from the Fire Hall at the RLB International Airport.
Reports indicated that the three men had cut a hole in the northern fence of the airport compound, stuck up a member of the Fire and Rescue Services who was on duty, and fired a number of shots before stealing the shotgun.
It is alleged that Cabey was among the trio and the almost six-month investigation has led to his arrest and subsequent charges.
This is not the first time that a police officer has allegedly been involved in criminal activities. On Friday, November 27, 2009, Constable Jonathan Carbon of Dominica was remanded to prison for allegedly selling a firearm and a quantity of ammunition to Case Hamilton of Gingerland, Nevis.
On Friday, October 9, 2009, three firearms and a quantity of ammunition were discovered missing from the Gingerland Police Station, where Carbon was based. Among the missing firearms was a .38 revolver, which police discovered with six matching rounds of ammunition in Farm Estate, Nevis on Friday, November 20, 2009.
Early in 2010, a Dominica-born police officer stationed on Nevis allegedly physically abused a female on that island. He has since absconded, leaving the woman with just the memory of her abuse and a denial of justice.
On Thursday, October 4, 2007, Constable Alister Huggins was charged with “Discreditable conduct’. He allegedly stole a sum of money from the residence of a member of the Bobo Shanty Rastafarian group.
