BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ANOTHER Constable of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force has been accused of bringing the institution into further disrepute concerning the professionalism and integrity of some of its members.
SKNVibes learned that Constable Timothy Abbott was this morning (Aug. 10) arrested and charged with “Fraudulent Conversion”. This was later confirmed by Police Press and Public Relations Officer (PRO) Inspector Zenhastel Hector, who stated that Abbott was today taken into custody, charged and subsequently released on bail.
This media house also learned that Abbott is being accused of taking monies from a number of persons who had applied to the Force for the acquisition of licenced firearms. He is further accused of taking monies from some people under the pretext of legally purchasing their firearms from the US, among other countries, after they would have acquired their firearm licence.
One individual, on condition of anonymity, told SKNVibes that he was suckered into giving Abbott a sum of money to acquire his firearm licence.
“As a businessman, and with the increase in crime, I had applied to get a gun licence but it was taking too long. I had made several inquiries as to why it was taking so long, and I met Abbott who led me to believe that he could speed up the process because he was the Commissioner’s driver. I believed him and paid him a sum of money, but to date the situation remains the same. I am still not in possession of the licence,” the individual said.
Two weeks ago, after learning that Abbott was under internal investigation for “Discreditable Conduct”, SKNVibes contacted the PRO as well as a number of senior officers, but was told that the only person who could have provided a comment on the issue was the Acting Commissioner of Police, Stafford Liburd.
However, when contacted, Liburd neither confirmed nor denied that Abbott was under investigation but categorically stated, “I am not prepared to discuss the particular officer in question.”
Earlier this afternoon, SKNVibes contacted Abbott to get his version of the story and was told that he was on his way to provide a statement, but at news time he did not show up.
Abbott has now joined a number of officers who have brought the Police Force into disrepute.
The last officer to have been accused of “Discreditable Conduct” was 573 Constable Alister Huggins. It was reported that in 2007 he allegedly stole a sum of money from the residence of a member of the Bobo Shanty Rastafarian group during a search conducted by the security forces of which he was a member.
Sometime in July this year, Huggins appeared before a Police Disciplinary Tribunal in Nevis, which recommended his dismissal from the Police Force.
