Published 29 November 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
High Court Judge orders government to pay over EC$60,000 to ex-LIME worker for wrongful arrest
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, November 29, 2018 – One of two men, who were employees of telecommunications provider LIME at the time of their wrongful arrest, has been awarded over EC$60,000 by a High Court Judge.
Her Ladyship Justice Pearletta Lanns handed down her ruling on November 15 in the civil suit brought against the Attorney General by Sylvester Anthony Law Firm on behalf of Romero Bowers.
Justice Lanns ordered the Government to pay Bowers, EC$15,000 for Assault and Battery; EC$6,000 for Unlawful Search; EC$10,000 for Unlawful Arrest and False Imprisonment; EC$20,000 for Aggravated Damages and EC$10,000 for Compensatory Damages (for defamation), a total of EC$61,000.
The Government was also ordered to pay prescribed costs to his lawyers.
The two men were arrested by police on August 25, 2015 in what was said to be a joint intelligence-led operation carried out by members of the SSU, Drug Squad, SIU and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Department.
One of the two LIME employees went into a local courier to collect a package and when his co-worker returned to pick him up with the package, they were both by police and handcuffed.
Photos and video recordings of the men in handcuffs and in the back of a police vehicle went viral causing embarrassment to the men and their families.
A search of the package of the ex-Lime worker did not contain drugs.
The person who another package was addressed to was later held for the drugs which had an estimated wholesale value of EC$56,060 and a street value of EC$168,180. The person arrested has been charged but the case has not been called.
