Francis, Brewster deny late night beach meet

A top government minister and senior police officer deny being on a beach together at any time with a person known as ‘Que Pasa’, but Opposition Leader, Arnhim Eustace, says he has information on the alleged incident that he has not yet revealed.{{more}}

Comments, questions, accusations, and conspiracy theories flew after the host of the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) New Times radio programme Elwardo Lynch (Photo below left) spoke about an alleged beach gathering involving Minister of Housing Julian Francis, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Lenroy Brewster and a person referred to as ‘Que Pasa’.



Lynch made the allegations on his political talk show on Thursday, August 23rd.

ACP Brewster, however, told SEARCHLIGHT that from Saturday, August 18 to Sunday, August 26th, he was out of the state, so he could not be on the beach on Saturday, August 18th, as is being suggested.

Lynch, however, told SEARCHLIGHT that on his programme on Friday, August 24th, he did say “four times” that the beach incident occurred on Saturday, 4th August, and not on Saturday 18th, as his statement on the previous day’s programme suggested.

Lynch also said that he was not moved by any legal threats because “I have all my information.”

But Brewster and Francis swear that the beach incident, no matter what date is used, is untrue.

“There isn’t any truth in that. I have never been on any beach with them (‘Que Pasa’ and ACP Brewster),” Senator Francis said.

“Time will tell, when things come out, the whole of St Vincent and the Grenadines will know there was no such incident,” Brewster, for his part, said.

As he denies the beach incident ever occurred, Brewster told SEARCHLIGHT that he felt bad about it, as people in the public are “already saying nonsense”.

“From my level as an officer…my reputation is at stake,” Brewster said.



Francis (at left) was, however, more combative in his speech, saying: “They playing with fire when they mess with Julian.”

Francis said that he believes the whole affair is politically motivated.

“I believe it is an organized strategy by the NDP,” Francis said.

“Every Monday morning there is something new about Julian, but you don’t stone green mangoes, only ripe ones,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a press conference last Friday, August 24, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bertram Pompey categorically refuted suggestions made by Lynch that Rapid Response Unit (RRU) officers were “disbanded” because they leaked information to him (Lynch). He further denied allegations by Lynch that attempts were made to force the said officers to take a polygraph (lie detector) test to determine whether they had leaked any information to Lynch about the incident. Lynch claims that it was the officers’ refusal to comply by taking the test that led to them being “kicked out”.

“The police force views these statements as malicious, reckless and calculated to create fear in the public and distrust between different ranks of the police force,” Pompey said at the hastily called press conference.

He further stated that no officer was transferred or disbanded from the RRU, and added that the police did not own a polygraph machine.



Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace (photo right) has also jumped into the fray, saying that he has information, details, and would release them at the right time.

“The NDP has in fact collected and is collecting more information on a daily basis; we are assessing that information and some of it we have kept close to our chest for obvious reasons,” Eustace said on the New Times programme, last Tuesday, August 28th.

“We have to play our cards at the right time,” he said.