Police charge members of opposition

Members of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) say they will not be moved or intimidated by the Roosevelt Skerrit led Dominica Labour Party (DLP) after the police slapped four UWP members with charges dating back to the February 7, 2017 public meeting organized by opposition parties to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

After the 7 February meeting held at the northern end of Kennedy Avenue, near Government Headquarters ended, a number wayward youth looted, burnt trash in the streets and smashed windows of a few business places in Roseau. Later Prime Minister Skerrit declared, during an address to the nation, that opposition forces had attempted to overthrow his government. Subsequently, police investigators did not prove that statement correct.

Opposition leader Lennox Linton was charged with "obstruction" and "inciting". According to the summons, he failed to adhere to instructions from the police to end a meeting at "the agreed time of 3pm thus inciting violence."

Linton has dismissed the charges as "rubbish" and said they will not stand in a court of law.

Roseau South MP Joshua Francis and UWP PRO, former superintendent of police, Nicholas George, have also been charged with "willfully obstructing police in the execution of their duty."

Additionally, Francis, an attorney at law, labeled the charge as an abuse of the process and wastage of judicial time.

"This matter is time wasting and an abuse of the State's resources and I am very confident that like the others, it will be thrown out of the court," Francis said. "I won't lose sleep over this matter, it is all the works of the evil DLP administration and their operatives."

The police filed the charges three days short of the six months limitation under law.

Police also charged Joseph Isaac, the Roseau Central parliamentary representative.

The matters are all set for September 25, 2017.