Opposition Leader commends police on capture of fugitive

Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace has commended the police on the capture of escaped prisoner Godwin Moses.{{more}}

“I am happy he was found; and I understand (he) was shot,” Eustace told SEARCHLIGHT on Monday, December 2.

Eustace, who was at the time standing in the vicinity of the Financial Complex, the venue of a planned picket against violence, said that the issue of crime has reached a stage where something really serious has to be done.

“It is important that the police took action and that sends a good signal to the community. But at the same time, we have to recognize that is not the only response. There are things we can do over time. I am not saying it’s a short-term solution…

“We have to try and change people’s values so that they don’t get themselves in these types of situations. You will always find things like that happening and one can never wipe them out, but certainly, we can mitigate it by trying to assist in changing people’s values, especially among our younger people.

“It is very important to have programs and institutions which deal with improving our young people and the values in our society, so we don’t end up in this kind of situation,” the President of the New Democratic Party (NDP) said.

Commenting on the recent murder of Ewart “Ells” King, the Opposition Leader said he spoke with some of Ells’s children and they are grieving about what has happened and what their state in life is going to be from now on.

“It is really horrible. We’ve had a number of these incidents before and we really need the society to come together and do something about it,” the former Prime Minister added.

Eustace also said that he is willing to put aside the politics and join forces with Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and the ruling Unity Labour Party government to rally against criminal activities, but so far his attempts have proven futile.

“I have presented it [the NDP Social and Spiritual Redemption Charter] to parliament since 2003 and I brought it back in 2005, but the government would not debate it.

“When crime started picking up during the elections, I offered to join the Prime Minister on radio to call for people not to get involved in any violent activity. But he said I want to look Prime Ministerial …,” he explained.

According to a police report, Godwin Moses was found on Sunday, December 11, during a stop and search exercise in the vicinity of Happy Hill, Mt Wynne.

Moses, who escaped custody three weeks ago was shot and killed during the process and was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.(AA)