Charges Coming for Other Parties Involved in Tugboat Voyage!
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams wants to dispel any notions that the public officers are being made scapegoats in the process. Williams says that if a minister of any other high-ranking authority instructed Dion Castillo and Robert Flowers to provide clearance for the vessel then they are to report that information to police. And since no such information is forthcoming, the authorities must act on the evidence and they are charging those who signed the clearance. He added that Banana Enterprises is to be charged as well today. The five crew members are also to be charged.
On the Phone: Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“And to those who are saying that the public officers are being used as a scapegoat, I don’t know where that is coming from. But as I have said before, we are going after the persons who have signed the declaration or the permit to leave.”
Andrea Polanco
“Commissioner, any other charges forthcoming for the other parties involved? I believe there was also a sign-off by the port of authority and then you have the vessel?”
On the Phone: Chester Williams
“Yes, of course. We are in the process of preparing charges for the company which is Banana Enterprises. The company is going to be charged for leaving the country illegally and the person who is the port manager will be the one who is going to face the court on behalf of the company in respect of that matter. Again, in terms of the five men who were on the AJ Ellis and had gone to Honduras and came back infected with the COVID-19 virus and were placed in quarantine and got out and went into the of Independence – they too will be facing charges for breach of quarantine and so those are the other charges being contemplated at this time. But if it is that they have received directive or instruction from anyone above them or any minister, let them say who the person is that gave the instruction and let us go after the person as well. But, as it is, based on the evidence that we have, we don’t have any evidence at this time to suggest that they got instruction from above them or if someone other person directive them to do as they have done.”
