Hangings to resume — ‘sooner rather than later’

Attorney General John Jeremie gave the assurance that he was doing everything within his power to ensure that hangings resumed “sooner rather than later.” “I am optimistic that we do not have too long to wait,” he added. He was winding up the debate on the Bail Bill in the Senate on Tuesday. Responding to criticisms from Independent Senator Dana Seetahal that the narrow definition of kidnapping for ransom left out a whole range of persons involved in the crime of kidnapping, Jeremie said Prime Minister Patrick Manning wanted to include a broader definition of  kidnapping in the list of violent non-bailable offences, however he noted this was not accepted by the Opposition UNC, he said.

Jeremie said this issue had been raised in the House of Representatives by Pointe-a-Pierre MP Gillian Lucky. But, he stressed, the bill was an exercise “in which we collaborated and established a consensus.” “Our friends (the UNC)... did not trust us with making that change,” he said. Responding to comments made by Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran, Jeremie said National Security Minister Martin Joseph was doing his best to ensure that the police service, even under the current dispensation detected crime, and that the Anti-Kidnapping Squad was appropriately configured to suit the task which it had to carry out. Jeremie said himself and Joseph were prepared to be judged in  a year’s time.