Chairman of the Peoples Action Movement (PAM), Ambassador Jonel Powell has admitted that Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. Timothy Harris has failed in his promise to eradicate and reduce crime in St. Kitts and Nevis.
That’s the view of the Deputy Political Leader of the National Integrity Party (NIP), Roy Fleming.
Fleming said Jonel Powell’s letter to opposition parliamentarian and Labour Party representative for St. Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre), Hon. Marcella Liburd seeking her help to curb rising crime, is evidence that Harris and his Team Unity Government of which the PAM is a part of, has failed the people of the country.
“I find it strange that Powell did not write to his own Government and Dr. Harris, the Minister of National Security. It signals an admission by Jonel Powell that Dr. Harris, his own Minister of National Security has failed badly in their crime strategy since taking office in 2015,” said Fleming.
He reminded Powell that with the millions of taxpayers’ dollars allocated to the Ministry of National Security, Powell did not see it fit to seek an audience with the Dr. Harris.
Flemming accused Powell of being hypocritical and insincere for coming to the people of Central Basseterre, months before a general election to give an impression that he is concerned about crime.
“For the past four years – 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 – there was no voice from Jonel Powell on crime, particularly murders in the constituency and the country,” said Fleming, who is of the view that the haste to which Powell now addresses the issue of crime, comes on the heels of the tragic murder of the son of Federal Minister, Hon. Ian “Patches” Liburd.
“If it was not for this tragic event, Mr. Powell would have continued to maintain his silence on criminal activity which continues to terrorise the citizens of our beloved federation,” said Flaming.