(Trinidad Guardian) The six Trinidadian nationals detained in Grenada since Wednesday in connection with an alleged assault on national athlete Anderson Peters aboard the Harbour master party boat have been charged.
The six will remain in the custody of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) over the weekend and will appear before a magistrate on Monday.
A release from the RGPF identified the men as John Alexander; Mikhail John; Noel Cooper; Lance Wiggins and Sheon Jack, who were charged with one count each of grievous harm and stealing in relation to Anderson Peters; as well as causing harm to Peters’s brother, Kiddon Peters.
Meanwhile, 40-year-old police officer/operations manager Abiola Benjamin, of Maraval, was charged with assaulting Anderson Peters.
Alexander, 55, is a deckhand of Arima; John, 35, is a sailor from San Juan; Cooper, 42, is the captain, of Curepe; Wiggins, 45, is sailor of Cocorite; and Jack, 28, is a sailor, also of Cocorite.
And as the police investigation into the alleged assault of Peters aboard the Harbour Master continued yesterday, the troubles for boat owner Adrian Scoon increased after Grenada’s Supreme Court ordered the vessel be “arrested.”
Peters, who is the double world javelin champion, was reportedly beaten and tossed overboard on Wednesday, following a party aboard the T&T-owned cruise boat, which is currently operating in Grenada.
Six crew members were later detained in connection with the incident.
Acting on behalf of the Peters brothers, Grenadian attorney Derick Sylvester yesterday petitioned the Supreme Court to grant a warrant of arrest on the vessel. The petition was served on the boat’s operator by a local bailiff around 2 pm at St George’s Port, Grenada.
Meanwhile, Sylvester also filed a series of civil lawsuits on behalf of his clients seeking general damage; aggravated and/or exemplary damage; and special damages to be further assessed, arising out of the incident.
In addition to arresting the vessel, the local marshall was also instructed to keep all cargo safe until further instructions were issued by the Court.
Grenada’s former attorney general Cajeton Hood, his son Benjamin and attorney Francis Paul were retained by the Trinidad-based owners of the Harbour Master to represent the interest of the crew members who have been charged.
All calls to Scoon’s cell phones went unanswered yesterday, while efforts to contact the Harbour Master’s Port-of-Spain office were also unsuccessful.
The Harbour Master and the Ocean Pelican party boats are both owned by Scoon and were in Grenada being used to host events as part of that island’s Spicemas 2022 Carnival during August 3 to 10.
While the Harbour Master will remain moored in St George’s for the time being, it is unclear if and when the Ocean Pelican will be returning to Trinidad.
T&T’s Honorary Consul in Grenada, Clifton Ali, yesterday said the very unfortunate incident had been the subject of ongoing communication between the governments of T&T and Grenada.
In a brief statement, Ali confirmed that immediately following the incident on Wednesday night, T&T’s Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Dr Amery Browne, had reached out to Joseph Andall, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development of Grenada.
He said, “In their communication, Minister Browne expressed his regret and concern for the health and well-being of Mr. Peters and requested regular updates and information on the facts of the matter.
“Since this initial engagement, both Ministers have continued to remain in contact, expressing mutual hope that justice would be fully served.”
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell on Wednesday expressed alarm over the treatment meted out to the sporting icon.
In a brief statement posted to social media, Mitchell wrote, “As a government, we unequivocally condemn violence of any kind and call on all citizens and visitors to maintain a posture of respect to differing perspectives and to opt for rational debate over extreme behaviour.”