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Manager of NICE Radio, Douglas De Freitas. (iWN file photo)
Manager of NICE Radio, Douglas De Freitas. (iWN file photo)
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Manager of NICE Radio, Douglas DeFreitas on Monday pleaded not guilty to 10 public alarm charges brought against him in relations to comments he allegedly made on Dec. 10, 2015, one day after the general elections.

DeFreitas is charged that:

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “in North Leeward, reliable resources, the lawyers have taken photographs of unsealed ballot boxes”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “Six ballot boxes unsealed and one missing; that alone tells you that something went radically wrong”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “okay, I was just told that one of the ballot boxes down in Central Leeward; six of the ballots are unsealed, six of them unsealed. So we have a situation developing; we need a by-election”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

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On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “There are quite a bit of persons down there in Layou already so we need as much persons who can journey down in Central Leeward to show solidarity and support, if you have six ballot boxes unsealed for recount, that is contamination”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “and I am telling you that there is something radically wrong with the results of North and South Leeward”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “we heard that there has been an arrest of someone, a Clerk that had information in his vehicle. I heard that the police may have arrested someone to deal with some issue of fifty-six votes and other documentation that shudda not been in his possession”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “it was just reported to us here at NICE Radio in Patel’s constituency most of the ballot boxes in Central Kingstown are unsealed. That is contamination and no recount can change contamination”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “I am just reminding the public that information reaching us here at NICE Radio that in North Leeward, in North Leeward, most of the ballot boxes were unsealed more than in Central Leeward, unsealed. That’s contamination”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

On Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he did publish a false statement to wit: “remember what the people of Saint Kitts did to protect democracy? We need to do that because an alleged major fraud has taken place in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines”, which is likely to cause fear or alarm or to disturb the public peace, contrary to section 64(1) of the Criminal Code;

Magistrate Bertie Pompey read the charges to DeFreitas before recusing himself from the case in light of another legal matter involving him and DeFreitas.

The matter was transferred to the Calliaqua Magistrate’s Court for the next hearing on Sept. 13.

DeFreitas was represented by lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, who requested disclosure in the matters.

On June 21, DeFreitas also appeared before Pompey charged that on Dec. 10, 2015, at Dorsetshire Hill, he published a false statement to wit: “I have just had confirmation that six (6) of the ballot boxes were unsealed and one missing. Six of the ballots were unsealed and one missing. It means that something went on down there in the polling station and we are calling for by-elections by Monday. We want by-election, we don’t want… And I want the leadership of the NDP to find some transportation, get supporters to go down there and to get into the place, please and persons who can go on their own, go down there and support Exeter on this matter”.

Pompey also recused himself from that matter and transferred it to the Calliaqua Magistrate’s Court for the setting of a trial date.

3 replies on “NICE Radio boss Douglas DeFreitas pleads not guilty to 10 public alarm charges”

  1. Maybe such news would cause “fear or alarm” in a more “developed” country but it is nothing shocking in SVG. Did it create frear or alarm?….NO! If he sais it and if it is false is not going to make the world come to an end. It is sad that a PM can get away with saying anything, knowing it is false, and nothing happens to him/her. Ken Boyea lost a lot of money after a PM said there will be a new Kingstown in Arnos Vale by 2011. A year ago our PM said he is going to create lots of jobs. In fact he said that over a decade ago. Where are they? After he said he has to raise taxes to create jobs, you know we are in BIG economic trouble! Vincentians love to sing: “Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.”

  2. What a bunch of rubbish. I cannot think of one Vincentian who would experience fear and alarm from what Douglas said. I am sure such comments would not cause a breach of the peace either.

    We are entitled to know what is currently news and what he told us was current news. If there were discrepancies in what he said so what live news can sometime be wrong because of misinformation recieved. In fact allowances for such are made in the law.

    As far as I am concerned these are political charges, only one man would decide to have Douglass charged in these matters.

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