[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the aftermath of the IMPACS investigation, a senior police officer was warned that while he was in danger of being killed by fellow officers, he could not be guaranteed protection. There have been a number of shooting fatalities in the last two weeks, without arrests. One of those recently gunned down in Wilton’s Yard, it has emerged, was a crown witness in an upcoming murder trial. This week police confirmed that the man was indeed a police witness in two murder cases, that he had been a solid police resource. It remains conjectural the impact his death will have on other witnesses.
A recent visit by this reporter to the Major Crimes Unit revealed that witnesses seeking protection at this time can only hope to get an unofficial agreement with the Director of Public Prosecutions and Commissioner of Police, depending on the level of risk involved. In short, it seems Saint Lucia does not have a witness protection programme in place.
ACP for Crime and Intelligence, Wayne Charlery, told me: “We depend heavily on eyewitness reports and if they are not available it would devalue the cases presented before the court. The more evidence we can present, the stronger our case.”
Said Charlery: “Of course a lot of these unsolved cases are the result of witnesses being fearful of repercussions. Lack of informants is a major reason we have such a backlog of cold cases.” Charlery is hopeful that an effective witness protection programme following the blueprint of what is currently provided by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is somewhere in the pipeline. The Regional Security System, of which Saint Lucia is a member, is the hopeful facilitator of this future witness protection service. “There are great benefits to be derived from exploring the introduction and implementation of a witness protection programme,” Charlery said. “To work effectively it has to be regional. Who knows we might get that federal police we’ve been dreaming of quite a while to take care of that transnational and organised crime which crosses borders.”
At the 19th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 1997, George Odlum was in fine fettle.… Read More
Let me begin with a question: How many here today remember when four prime ministers of our region together gave… Read More
When I was eighteen, I worked at the Population Program Division of the Ministry of Health. Population control, using contraceptives… Read More
The male was later identified as thirty -three (33) year old Ted Smith of Mon Repos, Micoud was transported to… Read More
In recent dispatch to a writer friend from our days of California dreaming (several years ago he too had… Read More
Dr. Vincent Victor Edmonds St. Omer, 89, of Columbia, passed away on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. He was born on… Read More
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. No personally identifiable information is stored.