David expects no tourism fall-out from killing

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Parent Category: Jan 2012

Category: Week end Jan 7th, 2012

Published on Monday, 09 January 2012 07:12

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Tourism Minister Peter David has said that Grenada remains an “extremely safe destination’’ for visitors, adding that government intends to keep it that way. He made the comment in response to questions about the potential impact on tourism of the death of Oscar Bartholomew.

The 39-year-old Grenadian, who resided in Canada and was visiting his homeland with his Canadian-born wife, died at the St. George’s General Hospital where he was taken following an altercation with officers at the St. David’s Police Station.

Officers of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Royal Grenada Police Force, who are conducting a probe into the Boxing Day incident in St. David, have charged five policemen with manslaughter in connection with Bartholomew’s death.

“This is a tragedy on all counts, especially for the Bartholomew family,’’ said Minister David, who also hold the Civil Aviation and Culture portfolios in the Tillman Thomas-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

“Like all Grenadians, including all my colleagues in government, we would have preferred this not to have happened to anyone, particularly to a national who was visiting with his wife,’’ the minister added.

“But from the perspective of visitor safety, and in comparison to other tourist-dependent nations of the world, Grenada still is - and will continue to be - an extremely safe destination for travelers from around the world.’’

The Bartholomews’ legal representative in Grenada is lawyer Derick Sylvester. He said Bartholomew’s mother and his wife, Dolette, had expressed interest in meeting with government representatives.

Prime Minister Thomas had earlier visited the grieving mother to express government’s condolences on the death.

According to Sylvester who was a former legal partner with David at Ciboney Chambers, he was successful on Friday in setting up a meeting with the senior government minister who talked with Bartholomew’s mother and wife.

Minister David conveyed his sympathies to the couple and their families, and again extended government’s condolences that were first expressed earlier in the week by Prime Minister Thomas.

For Sylvester, having Minister David meet with the two grieving Bartholomew family members was “a step in the right direction.’’

Meanwhile, the main opposition New National Party (NNP) has issued a statement expressing its sadness with the alleged beating of Bartholomew, a Grenadian-born Canadian Citizen while in Police custody over the Christmas Holidays. 

NNP’s political activist, Devon Rachae, a former Candidate for the St. David Constituency, was seen Tuesday morning leading a group of protestors from the court house on Upper St. John’s Street to the front of the CID head office on Hillsborough Street in the city calling for justice in the Bartholomew killing.

Bartholomew who later succumbed to his injuries hours after at the General Hospital, generated a series of protest actions by residents in the St David’s area.

The NNP statement said: “Given the present state of the economy and the negative publicity the country has been receiving both locally and regionally in the past few months, this incident could further damage its image as a tourist destination creating road blocks and unnecessary challenges for the already difficult task of removing the economy from its present state of malaise.

“In light of the above and having regards to the value of tourism to Grenada, we call on Prime Minister Tillman Thomas to immediately launch a full investigation to ascertain the facts surrounding this case, and in so doing, ensure that justice is not only done but seen to have been done.

“To the beloved family and friends of Mr. Bartholomew both here at home and abroad, our hearts go out to you in this time of great loss.  We are aware of the tremendous pain death brings, more so in this tragic circumstance. We want to assure you the entire party mourns with you; also, our prayers are with you.

“To the Grenadian population, we could only take courage from the knowledge that as Grenadians we have the capacity, as demonstrated many times in the past; to transcend every challenge which confront us.

 “Let’s continue to join hearts and hands in the true spirit of brotherhood to help ease the obvious pain that the family is enduring at this time.  May the Peace of God continue to be with us all during this very difficult period”.

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