By:Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 28, 2017 – Two months after information surfaced and a subsequent public denial, that he was being forced out as Superintendent of Her Majesty’s Prison, Mr. Juni “Scrape” Hodge confirmed Tuesday that he will not return to the post when his vacation ends.
“I was told by the Permanent Secretary that after my vacation is over not to return to Her Majesty’s Prison,” Hodge said in an exclusive interview with Freedom 106.5 FM News.
He said his vacation officially ends on December 7th.
Hodge told Freedom FM News that Permanent Secretary Petty informed him during the meeting that the relationship between him and the other senior officers is untenable.
“I do not know how,” said Hodge, who disclosed that a meeting with Petty has been set for December 4.
Reports early October said Hodge was being forced out after a verbal clash with Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris.
Hours after, Hodge denied the report telling SKNVIBES and Times Caribbean, both controlled by the Team Unity government, that there was no truth in the rumour “and since waking up this morning (October 5, 2017) I am still the Superintendent of Prisons.”
“I don’t know about drawing the Prime Minister into it – that would be their issue and the Prime Minister’s. Probably there might be persons within the institution who wants to be the head, and they would have started that…that I was forced out,” Hodge is quoted by SKNVIBES.
Times Caribbean reported that “Hodge confirmed that he did not receive any letter from any individual indicating that he was terminated. Hodge did indicate however that he is currently on vacation and Deputy Superintendent Connor is Acting in his absence.”
Last Friday, November 24, 2017, a source knowledgeable of the latest development indicated that “Hodge was called to a meeting with Harris and the Permanent Secretary Osmond Petty and informed he was being removed from his post.”
The source could not state definitively whether the Harris mentioned attending that meeting was Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. Harris or the prime
minister’s brother, a senior officer at Her Majesty’s Prison.