Police are on the hunt for a man who is said to have beaten the security guard at the solar farm being installed at Argyle International Airport and stolen three of the panels.
“It is with some sadness, … and more than sadness, anger, really. I’m very upset about something which I must read here,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on radio last week as he announced the crime.
Gonsalves, who is also minister of national security, said that the report is that on Aug. 16, a jeep, which, apparently, had on Feb. 29 done “a kind of reconnoitring as though they mighta want do something”.
However, on Aug. 16, “the person in this particular jeep returned to the solar farm and three solar panels were stolen and the watchman, one Mr. Ashton, was beaten and received cuts on his hand and face,” the prime minister said.
He said the matter was reported to the Stubbs Police Station and an officer went on the site to investigate.
The watchman went to the Stubbs Polyclinic to get medical attention.
“… and I have photographs of this gentleman. I mean, it could have been worse for him,” Gonsalves said.
“Each of the three panels, according to the information given to me, cost EC$1,400 and I have photographs as to where the panels were taken from,” he said.
“Now, a man going with a jeep, he has an asset. This is plain wutliss and bad mindedness. We borrowed the money from the CDB to cut down on the cost of electricity out at AIA … and you gone and go and thief three ah the panels?” Gonsalves said.
“Good lord, man. These are some of the things, it’s like the people who will go either and steal and destroy things from the Seismic Unit.”
Gonsalves is yu got d peepel dem so desprate with yo gutter politics. Good lord way yu expek?
In a country where almost everything is dependent on hand outs and charity when man get a chance he will strike.