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The scandal broke fter the arrest and charge of former model Yugge Farrell. (Internet photo)
The scandal broke fter the arrest and charge of former model Yugge Farrell. (Internet photo)
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The model charged with using abusive language at Karen Duncan-Gonsalves, wife of the Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves, delivered a “blackmail” letter to each of their offices as well as that of the Office of the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Thursday.

“The envelope in which that document was[placed] is still in the possession of the staff here (Office of the Prime Minister). And the person who received it knows who delivered it. Knows the individual, the same individual who delivered it. Why don’t people just get basic facts,” the prime minister said Thursday in a call to Shake-up on WE FM.

Yugge Farrell, 22, of Lowmans Bay, was arrested in Kingstown, reportedly after delivering a letter to Duncan-Gonsalves’ office at the Attorney General’s Chambers and calling her “a dirty b***h” last week Thursday, Jan. 4.

In his comments on We-FM on Thursday, Jan. 11 — three days after his youngest son, Storm Gonsalves, made a disastrous attempt on Hot 97 FM to present the “back story” surrounding the case — the prime minister gave what he said were the facts of the matter.

“The lady in question turned up on Friday at the chambers of the attorney general,” the prime minister said, placing the alleged incident one day later than when it reportedly occurred.

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“I have been advised that she wrote in the book, because she is — they have a system where you write in the book at the Attorney General’s Chambers. She told the police on duty that she had a letter to deliver to Karen Duncan-Gonsalves, who is a Senior Crown Counsel at the attorney general’s chambers,” Gonsalves further said in his call to the radio station.

“Karen came out to get the letter, I have been advised, and the young lady started to curse and deliver a quote-unquote blackmail letter.”

Ralph Gonsalves 2
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. (iWN file photo)

The prime minister said that he learnt only Wednesday that it was Attorney General Jaundy Martin who advised Duncan-Gonsalves to make a formal complaint to the police “and to send the blackmail letter to the police and that it is the Attorney General who advised the police on duty to take the lady to the barracks.”

Gonsalves’ press secretary, Hans King, who was hosting the programme, said that this understanding was that the police on duty at the Attorney General’s Chambers had detained Farrell until his colleagues went to get her.

The prime minister said that the “blackmail letter” has a lot of “nastiness” in it.

“Very much so,” said King.

“A set of defamatory — a mountain of lies and abuse; just sickening,” the prime minister said.

When she was arraigned last Friday at the Kingstown Magistrate’s court, Magistrate Bertie Pompey, at the request of the prosecution, sent Farrell for two weeks’ psychiatric evaluation.

The magistrate’s decision came amidst strong protest by defence counsel Grant Connell, who noted that the prosecution had presented no evidence to support their application.

The development has generated much debate amidst a large segment of the Vincentian population at home and abroad.

Since Farrell’s detention, a number or videos have appeared on social media of the woman making a number of claims, including that she had a relationship with Camillo.

Camillo has not commented on the development and the prime minister said Thursday that he (the prime minister) and his deputy, Sir Louis Straker, have advised the finance minister not to comment.

The prime minister has so advised his son and finance minister even as the prime minister has criticised persons for commenting without “the facts”.

The prime minister said that from “that sequence of events” that he presented, neither Duncan-Gonsalves, Camillo, or their 7-year-old daughter has done anything wrong.

“On the other hand, they have been wronged.”

He said Duncan-Gonsalves made a report, the police acted, took Farrell to the magistrate’s court and the magistrate acted in accordance with the law.

“And that’s that,” Gonsalves said.

Farrell is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 22. 2018.

 

15 replies on “Embattled model delivered ‘blackmail’ letters — PM”

  1. Is this a pattern of deplorable behavior by certain politicians in St Vincent ?Just before the election in 2015, the Prime Minister was accused of having a relationship with one lady Miss Buntin. Watched my words carefully in order to avoid being sued. We heard the selasious conversation with the said person. From what is said Miss Bunting choosed to be exiled voluntarily. The PM ws accused of exploiting a vulnerable person for whatever reasons. Vincentian returned the Ulp to power whether lawfully or not. It seems as we as Vincentians suffer from selective amenesia.Now Boy Wonder was accused of doing the very same to the model Farrell. Should we expect this pattern of behavior to stop? Should Vincentians expect better from our politicians? Should we hold them accountable and toss or boot them out at at election time? Is the justice system in St Vincent so corrupt that they can never be impeached?

  2. Nothing new ,this pattern of behavior exist since slavery time and is responsible for the emergence of the mixed race people in St Vincent to a large extent. Massa always have their way. Massa comes in many forms fromy the Trump in the USA, now we have a political dynasty in St Vincent. Wonder boy is living up to his wonderful creed. Watch my words he would be reelected with a higher percentage in the next election.

  3. Really bud.. you said, ‘you’re the PM for every square inch of St. Vincent’ and now you saying this BS. You should be very ashamed because as the fruit don’t fall far the tree. You have drive fear in the population thus they are afraid to speak out. Where is the association for women, the Christian council and the conscious lawyers them. It’s a sad situation in this country. One day, you will be in handcuffs, mark my word.

  4. My heart bleeds for the super-rich, powerful Gonsalves Family. This small girl is so very threatening that our Prime Minister had to, for some unknown reason, mention a 7 year old child in an attempt to steal our sympathy from the real victim […]. Letter or no letter, there certainly is a “back story” that the Gonsalves Family refuse to talk about. We should all pray that nothing fatal happens to this very terrifyingly frail girl that has the entire Gonsalves Family working overtime to use their much-bigger exposure to crush this threat.
    I can guess what this is all about based on the information of Miss Farrell. What is not mentioned and there possibly really was a letter. Miss Farrell obviously thought based on the circumstances that it was her best option to write the letter. […] If this girl lives long enough we may just hear the real truth, or “back story”.

  5. Was the original report on this matter in the IWN investigated and found to be true? The PM is presenting a new set of facts. Is it the same case or another one? It appears as though there is no separation of power and the judiciary can be short circuit.

    1. The letters referred to may be letters of demand that does not make them blackmail, that is for a court to decide. If the dynasty claim they are blackmail they are duty bound to hand them over to the police and the police are duty bound to prosecute the lady. It cannot be the choice of the dynasty to determine if the matter proceeds or not, blackmail is a serious crime once committed cannot simply be forgiven by the dynasty.

      Its not just good enough to say the dynasty awaiting appointee prime minister has been advised by his father and also a Vincentian knight of the realm to say nothing. This is all based on the accusation of alleged extra marital sex by the dynasty awaiting appointee prime minister, that it the route cause of all this Hoo! Ha! As a public person he is answerable to the public and his constituents and is morally [if the dynasty believes in such] and as an act of common decency [if the dynasty believes in such] bound to make a public statement instead of hiding under a rock being sat on by his father.

      Saboto must be rubbing his hands with glee.

  6. In Court the magistrate read a charge to an individual that he thinks has a psychiatric problem so much so that he warded her at a psychiatric hospital for two weeks to be evaluated? Who is pscycho here? If the person is unfit to stand trial the charge should not be read to that person. hmmmm this saga is starting to smell like a case of premeditated sentencing.
    Who will be the fall guy in this blunder? This story needs to go regional and international because that young woman was taken advantage of by the system that should protect her.

    Ps CAN SOMEONE DO A WHATSAPP CLIP, YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK, ETC AND MAKE THIS THING VIRAL?

  7. Brown Boy USA says:

    Usually a blackmail letter, from my knowledge, would demand some monetary request from the person to prevent them from going public with sensitive information or taking certain actions that could be detrimental to the person being blackmailed. Therefore, I have a few questions:
    1. What was she demanding in the allege blackmail letter or what threat did she make? Because that could be a serious offense in and of itself.
    2. If the young lady demanded money in the alleged blackmail letter, why would she go to Camillo’s wife if Camillo is the intended target?
    3. How does an allege letter containing lots of nasty things constitute blackmail?
    You mean to tell me I could be charge for blackmail in SVG if I write a nasty letter and deliver it to person I have an issue with?
    This does not make no sense whatsoever.

  8. This is why I am calling on Friday to tell Vincentians how he will correct the legal system. This is an issue for the next election. Folks must know that they won’t have to go through this crap again. There are tons of things this illegal government has done and there have to be changes to the legal system.

  9. When is the prime minister and his family gonna stop tell lies omg am so tired of them […] In the days Mitchell he has morals won’t let his standard down

  10. Well the judiciary system is one sided so to speak and conconsa so is what the guy say in court some month ago with judge Dpp regarded the shooting of some guy in the slam its true svg is a Dictatorship i see already we are if we not seeing

  11. The prime minister said that the “blackmail letter” has a lot of “nastiness” in it.

    But is the nastiness true. Because you cannot blackmail someone with lies, you can only blackmail someone with truth.

    Seeing as the alleged blackmail letters have never been presented as evidence, perhaps they do not even exist.

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