Palmer Clears The Air Came to Nevis A Citizen, Never Married ...Pg11 $2 Friday, May 27th, 2016 Issue #1126 BANKSBANKS FIRM FIRM ON ON FEES FEES DESPITEDESPITE OUTRAGE OUTRAGE Page 18 PERKINS’ ATTACKER HOSPITALIZED Page 3 DIGICEL RESPONDS ...Pg 7 Irate customer hit restaurant owner in the head with a chicken leg...Pg15 C M Y K Page 2 The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. Friday May 27, 2016 LOCAL NEWS LOCAL NEWS The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. Friday May 27, 2016 Page 3 Senator’s attacker taken into custody By Monique Washington Slack just 10 feet away has not been Perkins are expected to from the Charlestown charged with any be laid on his release Police now have one man Police Station’s door. offence against Hon. from hospital. in custody after he Perkins as he is cur- attacked Federal It states that on Saturday, rent receiving treat- In a public statement Parliament Senator after numerous threats ment at the hospital, Perkins expressed his Michael Perkins on Perkins decided to make but according to a gratitude to the police Saturday (May 21) in a report at the police report Slack officers that quickly front of the Charles Charlestown Police was arrested and ended the altercation and Town Police Station. Station but Slack ran up charged in the First took the man into cus- to him and attacked him. Instance for the tody and thanked the Hon. Perkins currently offence of multitude of persons who holds the position of “As I tried to go past him Possession of reached out to him and Project Implementation to get to the door of the Cannabis with intent his family “in a show of Officer with the Nevis station, Esa struck out at to supply on May care and concern and Island Administration, me hitting my arms as I Esa Slack (File photo) Currently in Hospital in St. Kitts 22. Charges relating offered prayers.” and also Senator and the ducked away. As I tried to his attack on Mr. Deputy Speaker in the to evade him, he punched Federal Parliament. me about my head, neck ing and killing him have and shoulder,” the state- been ongoing for about Police Public Relations ment reads. eight years. Officer Grell Browne confirmed to the It further states that he “I have made numerous Observer that the man shouted for help and the reports to the Police who launched the attack first officer to come was against Esa over the last has not been charged as Justin Griffin who was eight years or so over yet as he is currently able to pull Slack off of similar incidents, and I warded at the Psychiatric him. He said that two am aware that he has Ward at the J. N. France other officers came who been convicted on at General Hospital in St. were able to control least two occasions,” the Kitts “receiving treat- Slack and place him in statement reads. ment” under police cus- custody. tody. He revealed that he was According to the state- not physically injured, According to the official ment, Slack made threats but has experiencing complainant’s statement and tried to physically slight pain around his made to the police and harm Perkins the day right shoulder. obtained by the prior to the incident. Observer, Hon Perkins Perkins states that Slack, at time of printing was attacked by Esa Slack’s threats of harm- NOTICE Any next of kin of the late MRS. HOSSELLA BROWNE, of Boyds, St. Kitts who died on the 27th February, 2012, are requested to contact the Attorney General’s Chambers, Government Headquarters, Church Street, Basseterre, St. Kitts on or before June 14th, 2016. Page 4 The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. Friday May 27, 2016 COMMENTARY NEWS Editorial LETTER TO THE EDITOR Banking on you THANK YOU NOTE The announcement that the governments of the East Caribbean Currency Union have asked the Central Bank to establish a com- From: A. Michael Perkins mittee to look into existing bank charges was a welcome move Dear Editor, NOT physically injured, have since chosen to that almost went unnoticed. We would like to think that this move except for suffering a make fun of, or attempt- is premised on an assumption that said fees are too high. Good It has been drawn to my slight pain around my ed to create scandal out move! attention that there have right shoulder. of such a serious inci- been certain rumors dent. Our prime Minister has advised that the setting of fees is an entire- making their rounds in All praise to God for his ly private matter, and neither the governments nor the ECCB has social media, and I guess mercies, and I also pub- Finally, I say a HUGE any authority over the rate of fees charged. A source explained elsewhere, and thought licly commend and sin- THANK YOU to the that people are not borrowing, and many loans are “non-perform- that I should confirm cerely thank the police multitude of persons ing”, so Banks are seeking ways to make up shortfalls in income. publicly that:- YES, I officers who quickly who have reached out to was assaulted in front of came to my rescue. me and my family in a Translation: the less able, who may hardly have qualified for a the Charlestown Police show of care and con- loan in the first place – and would have sacrificed to repay – have Station just after midday I want also to take this cern and offered prayers. to help pay for the failures of the financially able. last Saturday, by a man opportunity to encourage who obviously has men- us to say a SPECIAL Perks While it may be true that banks are losing money, they continue to tal issues, but that I was PRAYER for those who maintain full benefits structure, which belies the point about loss. One recalls that recently in the USA and UK, when several banks were rescued by government, the executives still received hand- some bonuses, a fact that incensed the tax paying public. Violence continues to We do not understand what additional costs is involved in manag- Plague the Federation ing an account today compared to yesteryear, or in managing an account that falls below minimum balances, that merits a monthly The last week has again Caribbean can learn one to avenge the pain deduction which, in some cases, does not even cease when the highlighted the issue of more from the mistakes inflicted on you. account balance reaches zero. violence amongst our made in so called devel- young men in the oped nations then trying When we look at the We do not understand the term ‘dormancy’ and why it is so expen- Federation. Again we to find a solution from staggering amount of sive to waken an account. Neither do we understand why there is see an outcry that such them, as frankly they death our youth have such a huge spread between interest charged on loans (which violence must be arrest- have yet to solve the faced in the last ten years uses the people’s deposits) and interest paid on people’s savings ed. Our Prime Minister problem themselves. the fact that many are in accounts. made a statement con- pain should be no sur- demning the violence Unfortunately, we have prise. The fact that many All this is happening at a time when other money management and talking about the not seemed to take heed do not know how to deal businesses seem to be thriving. Large customer bases with small measures his govern- and believe this matter with this pain and feel a deposits might be more of a bother to the banks to maintain than ment has taken to can be resolved through need to lash out should fewer customers with large deposits and a wider borrowing base address the violence and spending on policing, also not be any sur- talked about the issue security and make work prise. that would shoulder their responsibilities and repay their loans. being all but ignored for projects as if this issue is the past 20 years. simply a mater of eco- If we continue to address Commercial banks are set up to make huge profits while penny nomics. And, we have this as a security issue it banks and credit unions are designed to serve the poor and less In all fairness this is not spent a lot of money, will not end, in fact it fortunate. completely true, in the both Labour and Unity will get worse, last 15 years substantial , on policing and security first, security is expen- We haven’t heard any argument against the application of fees by investment has been and yet are we any fur- sive and therefore not commercial banks. Rather, the debate is about what constitutes made by both the public ther ahead than we were sustainable, look at the an acceptable rate. That is where Governmental intervention may and private sector in to 10 years ago? percentage of munici- be necessary. the security forces of our pal budgets expended on nation. Canine Units, Two factors should come security in cities in the vehicles, guns, invest- to the front when looking U.S. and Canada, police ment in forensic science at the situation, the vio- are now demanding more officers both police lence is gang related, the armor personal carriers, and military personal, violence is retaliatory in helicopter and military CCTV the list is long and nature. This is where we style armament, in expensive. And yet the need to start in develop- essence waging war in problem continues.