BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE two employees of communications provider LIME have been seeking legal advice and may soon be taking the Acting Commissioner of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) to Court.
Sources close to the two men had informed this media house that consultations have already begun with two prominent Attorneys-at-Law in the Federation to start the legal process.
The action being taken is as a result of the police arresting the two men on Tuesday (Aug. 25) following a sting operation that netted a significant quantity of marijuana and a semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition.
However, according to a police communiqué, nothing was found on the men to incriminate or tie them to the find. But the sources close to the men and a number of individuals who were present when they were arrested claimed that the police had “publicly embarrassed two innocent men by having them handcuffed and seated at the back of LIME’s pickup as they were driven to the Basseterre Police Station”.
The communiqué had stated that it was a joint intelligence-led operation carried out about 12:30 p.m. on the day in question by members of the SSU, Drug Squad, SIU and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Department.
“During the operation three (3) persons were taken into police custody. The persons were observed leaving a local Courier Service with several large boxes and were intercepted by the members of the Security Forces and taken into custody. Two (2) of the persons who were taken into police custody were employees of local telecommunications provider, LIME. At the station, they were interviewed by the officers and their items searched. Nothing to satisfy the suspicion was discovered in their packages and they were discharged pending further enquiries. The other a resident of the Sandy Point Community remains in police custody assisting with the ongoing investigation,” the communiqué read.
Police also said that the drug weighed 2 803 grams (2.803 kilos or 6.1 pounds) and is estimated at a wholesale value of EC$56 060 and a street value of EC$168 180.
On the same day of the incident, SKNVibes published an article headlined “Police blunder in sting operation” and it did not go down well with a number of individuals, including a few members of the RSCNPF.
The headline was subsequently changed to “Police embarrass LIME employees in sting operation” because they claimed that the police did not blunder. But that too did not sit well with them.
This media house only publishes a small percent when reporting on crime so as not to impede police investigations. However, because of the accusations and dissatisfaction over the contents of the article, this writer has decided to reveal some more details for the benefit of readership.
SKNVibes’ investigation revealed that the police had gotten wind of the illegal items entering the Federation and they had staked out KDP Enterprises, a cargo-clearing agency on Central Street in Basseterre, with the aim of apprehending the person who would have uplifted them.
This media house learnt that the two LIME employees had gone to KDP Enterprises to uplift a package. While the one to whom the package was consigned went into the agency, the other did not park the pickup in the immediate vicinity, but rather allegedly went on another errand.
It was also learnt that after uplifting the package, the man was standing on the sidewalk outside KDP Enterprises for approximately 15 minutes waiting on his fellow employee when the law enforcement officers apprehended him.
The driver returned shortly after that but was reportedly unaware of his fellow worker’s predicament. It is claimed that a senior member (name provided) of the operation approached the driver, pointed a firearm in his face and ordered him out of the vehicle.
It is also claimed that when the driver questioned the reason for wanting him to exit the vehicle, the officer reportedly told him that he would “read about it in the news” or similar words.
Both men were then handcuffed, put to sit at the back of the pickup along with the package under guard by two officers, while another officer took control of the vehicle and drove it to the Basseterre Police Station.
While all of that was taking place and before being taken to the station, the officers were making another arrest in New Street. They had arrested a man from Sandy Point who, in a recent communiqué, had been the recipient of the package that contained the illegal items.
He was slapped with five charges, ranging from Possession of Cannabis to Possession of Firearm, and was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison.
Now back to what transpired on the day in question.
SKNVibes was told that the man arrested on New Street was already in custody when the two LIME employees had arrived at the Basseterre Police Station.
After the package was searched and nothing was found to incriminate or tie them to the find, this media house was told that one of the investigating officers allegedly said: “Thanks for your cooperation.”
A source close to one of the men, who claimed to be knowledgeable in the Laws of the Federation, is of the view that the police did not only blunder in the operation by wrongfully arresting and publicly embarrassing the two men, but they also failed to offer them an apology.
“It was indeed a very embarrassing situation for the men. Many people had taken their pictures and videoed when the police accosted and had them handcuffed. These images were circulated via cell phones in the Federation and further afield. It has also gone viral. Think about the embarrassment this incident has caused not only to the men but also their families and other loved ones.
“A situation like this can certainly do harm to the men’s character, especially when the police said ‘nothing to satisfy the suspicion was discovered in their packages and they were discharged pending further enquiries’. What do they mean by saying pending further enquiries? Any logical thinking person would conclude that the men were under and are still under suspicion of being involved in illegal activities,” the source said.
The source claimed that, according to law, the police did an injustice to the men.
“Before arresting a person, the law states that the police must tell the individual the reason for the arrest. That was not done in this case! Also, knowing that nothing was discovered in the package, the investigating officers should have apologised to them. As a matter of fact, seeing that all the major media houses in the Federation had reported on the incident, the Police High Command should have sent out a release making a public apology.”
The source asserted that this was not the first time the RSCNPF has been brought into disrepute by some of its members.
“This is not the first time police officers had wronged members of the public. What about the incident that occurred with Trevor Douglas who was shot in the back? What about the shooting death of Kim Collin’s brother Winston Browne? And what about the man in Nevis who police said robbed the American Judge?
“It is known that the High Command has implemented new strategies in making the Federation safe for all of us. But while their intension is honourable, there are others who execute their duties in a very unprofessional manner. It is therefore incumbent upon members of the High Command and other senior experienced officers to ensure that those bent on displaying how powerful they are apply the correct procedures when making arrests.”
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