At a press briefing held Thursday, St. Lucia Police Commissioner Verne Garde declined to directly confirm or debunk widespread circulating reports claiming that a high-ranking government official has been taken into police custody. The question regarding the unconfirmed arrest was first brought to the commissioner’s attention by reporters from St. Lucia Times, who requested official clarification on the viral story.
Instead of addressing the core question of whether the arrest had actually taken place, Garde opened his remarks by emphasizing that the country’s legal system is designed to treat every citizen equally, no matter their social standing, official position or economic background. “Justice in this country is per individual. There is no tier in regards to justice. Justice is for the rich, it’s for the middle class, and it’s for the poor. At some times we may have persons in all the spectrums in conflict with the law,” Garde told reporters.
He went on to explain that when law enforcement personnel carry out their official duties, they do not consider special status or rank when pursuing investigations or taking enforcement action. “When law enforcement is doing their work, we don’t look at any particular criteria to execute our law enforcement duties. It’s just a regular requirement for law enforcement officers. As long as you infringe this benchmark, we’re going to do what we have to do,” he added.
After Garde’s indirect response, St. Lucia Times reporters pressed the commissioner for a clear, direct answer to confirm or deny the arrest report. Garde once again refused to comment on the specifics of the case, instead urging media outlets to exercise caution when publishing reports on ongoing criminal investigations.
“I’ve warned the media that we have to be very cautious in how we report matters,” Garde said. “I think I did quote a particular section of the criminal code that requires us to be very cautious when we are dealing with specific index crimes. So I will not endeavour to give any more information in regards to that particular event.” Following that statement, Garde declined to share any additional details about the reported arrest or the related investigation.