DJ Ruffy upset licence plate number implicated in crime

Local radio personality Rajiv Roberts, known popularly as “DJ Ruffy” in entertainment circles, believes that the licensing department should step in and put stricter measures in place for the issuance of licence plates in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Roberts made the suggestion to SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday this week, after his licence plate number{{more}}, PB 422, has been implicated in a criminal trial currently taking place in the Magistrate’s Court.

The DJ’s licence plate number was found on the vehicle in which Alaskie “Beaver” Samuel and other men were apprehended almost four weeks ago, and in which was found a Glock 17 semi-automatic hand gun, a mask, gloves and among other things, fake licence plates.

“I think there should be a policy or something where the licensing office should step in and these graphics places that do licence plates should have something certified from someone to say that the person coming for plates is the owner of the vehicle and he wants to replace his licence,” Roberts told SEARCHLIGHT.

“Anybody can do licence plates; once you have the money you just go by a graphics place and get a licence.”

Roberts said that on Tuesday, at about midday, it was brought to his attention by a co-worker at SVG Broadcasting Corporation, that his plate number was featured in a SEARCHLIGHT article concerning Samuel.

He said that after reading the article and finishing his shift, he went to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force to enquire what was going on.

“They explained to me that the men were apprehended in the vehicle, which is a brown Toyota Sprinter just like mine, with the same plate number like mine.

“Then they took me and showed me the vehicle with the number painted on the plates with what apparently was a paintbrush.

“I want the public to know that it is not my vehicle, I don’t know who this person is and I am not associated with this person.

“I never heard about him before,” Roberts stated emphatically.

The disc jockey and radio announcer said that the situation is an unfortunate one, which he hopes would not bring any undue strain his way.

He said that he had observed a heavy police presence in his neighbourhood recently, and that since the arrest of Samuel, he noticed that members of the Rapid Response Unit passed his vehicle while he was at a shop liming and pointed at it, but he didn’t know why, and didn’t pay much attention to it until now.

Samuel was arrested on August 18 this year, and slapped with four gun-related charges.

The Redemption Sharpes resident was released from prison last year, after serving time for manslaughter. (JJ)