One of Grenada’s long standing journalists George Worme has written to acting Commissioner of Police Don McKenzie seeking an explanation for the action of Sergeant of Police Emerson Baptiste to order him out of the No.1 St George’s Court on Friday afternoon.
Baptiste is a former bodyguard to the defeated Grenada Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell who lost his job on June 23, 2022 to Dickon Mitchell of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) following the 9-6 result at the polls.
According to Worme, he visited the court to cover a story in which the police had brought before acting Chief Magistrate Francine Foster the murder suspect in the Vendomme homicide a few weeks ago.
He said he has not had any running with Sgt. Baptiste over the years and found it strange that he would take such harsh and drastic action against him.
Baptiste told the journalist that he was putting him out of the court on the grounds that he was not properly dressed to be inside the building.
However, a check on the Notice Board at the St. George’s No.1 Magistrate’s Court showed that the journalist was not in violation of any of the Dress Codes posted for the public’s attention, since he was wearing a company’s T shirt.
The journalist said that Sgt. Baptiste who served for several years as a top bodyguard to ex-Prime Minister Keith Mitchell would have known of the many battles between him and the former Grenadian leader over the years.
“I would hate to think that Baptiste would stoop so low to be drinking bush for Keith Mitchell’s fever against me and THE NEW TODAY by trying to belittle me in front of other police officers inside the court.”
“I am not taking this lightly as it amounts to an attack on Press Freedom by an Officer of the Royal Grenada Police Force. I am waiting for the response to my complaint from the Police High Command and by extension Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell who is the Minister of National Security and holds the portfolio of Minister of Information.”
A former high-ranking officer of RGPF in commenting on the issue said: “In my opinion no journalist should be hindered in the execution of their duties in a democratic state. The media is the fourth Estate, one of the pillars that drives and controls the functions of a democratic State by virtue of performing their duties. It would be a travesty if in truth and in fact that the hindrance of George Worme to execute his duties is political.”
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