BASSETERRE, ST KITTS – Leader of the Opposition in St Kitts and Nevis, the Right Hon. Dr Denzil L. Douglas on Saturday condemned the continued crime situation in the federation following two armed robberies and a shooting incident which left two men dead and five others injured. The two deaths bring to 14 the number of murders for 2016 and the third shooting death this week.
The Moneygram office at Port Zante was held up Friday morning by two well-dressed masked gunmen and a large undisclosed sum of money stolen and the Sol Gas Station on was robbed Friday afternoon with the masked men making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Friday evening gunmen pumped bullets into a shop in the quiet village of Saddlers, killing two young men and leaving four others wounded, one of whom is on life support in the Intensive Care Unit at the main Joseph N France General Hospital. On Wednesday night, a wheelchair bound young man was shot and killed.
Expressing sympathy to the families of Willis Warner and Koron Phillip, Dr Douglas, the Parliamentary Representative for the area “join with the people of Saddlers and the fun-loving and peaceful people of St Kitts and Nevis at home and abroad to condemn this very sad state of affairs that have left so many people in grief in Saddlers and throughout our land.”
“It is very sad that as we are left here to grieve it seems as if the entire Cabinet of the Timothy Harris Unity government is out of the Federation. The Prime Minister is out on a joyride; the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs (Vincent Byron), the Premier of Nevis and Senior Minister Vance Amory and his wife are out of the island and we have been informed that the Commissioner of Police (Ian Queerly) is also out and the Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards is also out of the island and the question is who is really on the island and who is in charge of this government at this time,” asked Dr Douglas during a live interview on Freedom FM 106.5 on Saturday morning.
“We believe that these are very serious matters that need the full support, guidance and direction of the Minister of National Security, the Hon timothy Harris and to date we have not heard one word from any of the Federal Cabinet,” said Dr. Douglas, again asking: who is in charge.”
“Who is giving instructions? Who are responsible for investigating the two serious armed robberies that we had yesterday in Basseterre. We have had several spate of shootings yesterday and now last night, this very sad event with the invasion of this popular business establishment invaded by gunmen. When will it end,” said Douglas, the former prime minister.
Referring to the numerous promotions in the Royal St Christopher and Nevis Police Force, Dr Douglas asked when will the general public see the commendations and the rewards and accolades been given, but also “the effective implementation of the crime plan to give us the results that the people need and were promised.”
“Before February 2015, we were been told that the Unity people had all the answers to crime and violence in St Kitts and Nevis,” said Dr Douglas, suggesting that the time for sustained action against violence “and we must again condemn not only this recent spate of gun violence but condemn the government – the Team Unity government “for not been able o provide the answers and not been able to bring solutions to the critical matters that continue to confront our people.”
Accusing Prime Minister Harris and his Government of incompetence and deception, Dr Douglas asked the nation to pray for those recovering and grieving.