ULP headquarters thrashed, walls painted with obscenities

General Secretary of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) Julian Francis is confident that the person or persons who broke into the party’s Richmond Hill headquarters will be brought to justice.{{more}}

“I trust that the perpetrators will get caught,” an upset Francis said, sitting behind his desk that was rummaged and searched, with envelopes and folders scattered all over.

“I gave the police my suspicions. I leave a lot to the police.”

Some of the former Minister of Housing’s suspicions include the belief that the building was broken into some time after 10 pm on the night of Wednesday, January 27, since he reportedly left the premises a little before then.

The following day at about 9:10 am, Secretary Lavine Woodley discovered that the premises had been broken into when she reported for work. She alerted Francis, who then called the police.

Francis also believes that whoever committed the crime was politically motivated.

“The graffiti speaks for itself.”

“I think it was organized and paid for by persons wanting to get information that I have.”

“I made certain statements that I had information about the New Democratic Party’s No Campaign that cost $7 million. I think they came looking for that information.”

Graffiti written in gold paint on some of the office walls gave some credence to the Senator’s suspicions. The messages include the abbreviation:’NDP’, ‘u go fail Julian’, and others statements with vulgar content.

Posters of party leader and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves were also desecrated by the perpetrators.

According to Rosette Bennett, an employee at the party headquarters, it appears that the villains broke the locks from the front door, as well as those to her office and that of Francis.

She indicated that a number of items were taken by the thieves during their rampage.

Bennett claims that apart from two laptop computers, an external hard drive, a digital camera and three gift sets valued at $280 each, the crook(s) got away with EC$1,700, US$30, £20 and CAN$10.

Filing cabinets, cupboards and bags were ransacked and searched, and garbage was scattered about the main lobby.

A wide array of alcoholic drinks was, however, untouched.

“There might be other things missing, but until we do a full assessment, it is hard to say what,” Bennett noted.

The building has been the home of the ULP since 2005.

Francis, no longer a minister of government, said the building is where he will be spending most of his time getting the party battle ready for the next general elections.

He said that his immediate priority is to get better security for the premises, to ensure that a burglary does not occur again.

“Somebody did a damn good number. That’s for sure.”