Radio personality cries victimization

Radio Personality and political activist Colin ‘The Hitman’ Graham is crying victimization in relation to his arrest last Friday at Arnos Vale.

“For me, you can’t tell me otherwise. It’s political victimization, simply because I’ve been speaking out and been actively critical … [of] this government,” Graham told SEARCHLIGHT, during an interview on Wednesday.{{more}}

The activist said last Friday, he was driving along the Arnos Vale public road behind a group of protesters calling themselves “We the People,” when he was approached by a police officer, who apprehended him without explanation.

Graham said he was told by the officer to remain where he was until his (the officer’s) superiors arrived on the scene.

“So, I had to sit there and wait without formal word as to if I am being arrested, as to if I am being charged for any traffic violations or anything,” Graham added.

“Now, there’s a whole line of traffic; I am caught up in the traffic; persons are in front me protesting. I have on my hazard lights indicating that there’s an obstruction in front of me, but you single me out.”

Graham noted that police officers usually explain why they pull over a driver, but in his case, this did not happen.

He said he was then taken to he Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Police Headqu-arters, where he spent the entire day.

According to Graham, at about 4 p.m. he was taken to the Traffic Department, where his charges were read to him. However, he was not released until 10 p.m.

“We literally had to sit down in the police station, including the police officers, and fold we hands and wait on a phone call from the Commissioner of Police, when he found it fit to say okay, go ahead and release Colin,” the disc jockey and announcer on Hot 97.1 disclosed during an interview on that radio station’s AM Mayhem programme on Wednesday.

During that interview, Graham explained that once the paperwork had been sorted, a person should be able to leave immediately, which did not happen in his case.

Graham appeared before the Serious Offences Court last Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to six charges.

He was charged with causing obstruction to the free flow of traffic; allowing his vehicle to cause unnecessary obstruction to the free flow of traffic; failure to renew his driving permit that expired on March 10, 2016; failure to comply with the lawful direction given by a police in uniform when charged with the regulation of traffic; and causing inconvenience to the public in exercise of their common rights.

Graham is also adamant that the fact that he stood before the Serious Offences Court on Tuesday, when traffic cases are usually heard on Wednesday, shows some sort of victimization.

During a radio broadcast on Nice Radio the night before his arrest, Graham had encouraged Vincentians to be actively involved in the next day’s protest, which he said was being held to ensure the rights and freedom of Vincentians.

“I just felt that they just needed some reason based on that to try and take me out the protest the morning,” Graham said, referring to his statements on radio the night before.

He stated that his detention on Friday could have been dealt with by writing him a ticket and sending him home.

Graham, however, told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that people should not be afraid, intimidated or living in fear. He encouraged all to participate in protest action.

The disc jockey is currently on station bail and is expected to appear before the Kingstown Magistrate Court on May 4, 2016.(AS)