BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PEOPLE’S ACTION MOVEMENT representative Jonel Powell has informed this publication that he and the former Leader of that political party, Lindsay F. Grant, are under investigation in connection with a bottle-throwing incident that took place on Monday afternoon (Jul. 8) in the vicinity of Government Headquarters.
Powell – who spoke with SKNVibes earlier today – said he had been summoned to the Basseterre Police Station this morning, and when he got there he was informed of the investigation.
SKNVibes contacted Public Relations Officer of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) Inspector Lyndon David about Powell’s pronouncement.
David informed that he has no knowledge of the investigation and, even if he did, the police do not comment on active investigations.
Powell – PAM’s Deputy Leader – told SKNVibes that they are being investigated “for throwing bottles at Government Headquarters last Monday afternoon while Parliament was in session”.
“I was contacted this morning that I should go in to the police. I did not know for what. When I got there, I was informed that allegations have been made by eyewitnesses that I – along with Mr. Grant – was caught in the act of throwing bottles at Government Headquarters on Monday afternoon.”
According to Powell’s explanation of the happenings on that afternoon, both he and Grant were in the vicinity when he saw bottles emanating from Government Headquarters.
“I had parked my vehicle in College Street Ghaut between Cayon Street and Central Street as I do very regularly, as my office is on Church Street. Mr. Grant and I were leaving Basseterre, jumped into my vehicle and I proceeded down College Street. I got as far as the intersection of College Street and Central Street, which is right on the corner by Government Headquarters.
“Due to traffic, I had to stop the vehicle right in the middle of the junction. While there, we observed bottles coming out of Government Headquarters into a small crowd of people who were standing in the Ghaut. We observed the bottles broke and the people were running…Officers were there, but who were more caught up with the crowds on Church Street, then they turned around and came to that particular part of Central Street.”
The budding politician expressed that, at all material times, he and Grant were in his vehicle with the windows in a closed position except when opened to enquire of members of the crowd if they were injured.
He suggested that he found this development strange, especially since he had provided information on what he observed to the Commissioner of Police, for which he was thanked.
“Not too long after that (the bottle-throwing incident) I received a message that the Commissioner was enquiring into bottles being thrown at Government Headquarters from in the Ghaut. As a result of that, I called the Commissioner personally on his cellphone and told him that I was there at the point in time along with Mr. Grant and we had observed the bottles infact coming from within Government Headquarters and going into the crowd. He thanked me for that information and I thought that that was the end of it.”
SKNVibes understands from Powell’s explanation that when he visited the police station, he did so with his counsel, while Grant, who also visited the police station, was in the company of his counsel too.
Powell informed that neither he nor Grant had been arrested in connection with this incident and no charges were laid.
