Last Updated on March 17, 2020, 10:39 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The St Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce has joined local and regional organisations in condemning the recent attack on Resident Judge, His Lordship Mr Justice Eddy Ventose and called upon the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government to “identify and prosecute the perpetrator or perpetrators.”
In a statement issued Wednesday, the private sector organisation said it has “seen with alarm the recent vile and vulgar attacks and threats on social media against Mr. Justice Ventose of The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.”
The chamber was responding to a threat by a staunch Team Unity supporter who threatened Justice Ventose after his ruling which found St Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism, Hon Lindsay Grant and Ambassador Jonel Powell liable for breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and failure to account or misappropriation of US$460,000 (EC$1.2 million) belonging to a client, Tanzania Tobing Tanzil. He also ordered Grant and Powell to appear before a Disciplinary Tribunal of two Judges of the High Court to consider whether they should be suspended from practicing for a specified period of time or be struck off from the Court Roll.
Chamber President Mrs Giselle Matthew expressed the view that a strong and independent court system is critically important to the economic climate of St Kitts and Nevis.
“Any attempt to undermine that system can adversely affect our business community. The Chamber calls on Government to do all within its power to identify and prosecute the perpetrator(s),” she said in the Chamber release.
“As we approach a general election the Chamber also uses this opportunity to call on all political parties to impress upon their supporters that democracy requires accountability to the law, respect for our institutions and for each other. Attacks such as these will have a lasting and negative effect on our country long past the election,” said Matthews, who further noted that the technology which allows for social media is a double-edged sword.
“It facilitates communication and the exercise of the fundamental right to free speech, but it also provides a platform for and a certain degree of anonymity to devious or misguided persons to blatantly exceed the ambits of the right of free speech. The Chamber holds the view that our society needs to recognise the dangers and to promote the responsible use of social media,” she said, urging that “strong efforts must be made from every responsible quarter of the society to condemn the abuse of social media for political or any other means.”
Mrs Matthew said the Chamber stands ready to participate in a meaningful national effort to that effect.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
