JAMAICAN political scientist, Alston Stewart, on Friday, condemned attempts to tarnish his reputation and distort the truth surrounding the recent gun-related issue at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and Tobago.
On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Stewart was found with a firearm magazine in his carry-on bag at the Piarco International Airport, and while he has not refuted this fact, the politician is contending that the opposition, in Guyana, is using the media, in part, to distort the facts of the matter.
He said the reports that suggest that he was “busted at the Piarco International Airport with ammunitions in my luggage,” are attempts to twist an unfortunate but innocent incident to give the impression that there was a sinister plot to smuggle ammunition to Guyana, even as he prepared for pre-arranged meetings as an “AFC elections Strategist”.
“I am obligated to provide the facts in relation to an incident at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad on Thursday, September 26, 2019 en route to Guyana. These are the facts. I departed Kingston to Guyana en route through Trinidad on BW 483. During a routine check at the in-transit security point at the Piarco International Airport, it was discovered that I had inadvertently omitted to clear my carry-on personal bag of a firearm magazine for my licensed firearm,” Stewart detailed.
He noted that both of his carry-on bags were screened at the point of embarkation in Kingston, Jamaica and it remains a mystery as to the failure of the machine to detect its presence among his luggage.
Stewart said he has since provided evidence to Trinidadian authorities to prove that he is a licensed firearm holder in Jamaica. According to him, he uses the same personal bag to carry his firearm and ammunition for protection, however, when travelling abroad, would remove all its elements. But this was not in this instance.
“The discovery, therefore, at the Piarco International Airport was a total surprise and embarrassment to me as it was never my intention to leave Jamaica with the items or to contravene the laws of Trinidad or any other jurisdiction,” he said.
The Jamaican politician pointed out that the matter was referred to the magistrate’s court in Trinidad, where it was dismissed unconditionally and as such he was allowed to return to Jamaica.
“Since then, however, it appears that forces aligned to the opposition have been peddling propaganda and twisting the incident in an effort to besmirch the reputation of the AFC and to invite a negative disposition in the relations between myself and the alliance.”
“My relationship with the alliance has always been and will continue to be above board and in accordance with sound principles and in compliance with all laws. I, therefore, condemn in the strongest possible terms the attempts by opposition interests to extract political mileage from this incident, and also to bring to notice that this attempt to politicise the event only exposes their recklessness and irresponsibility as it is clear that they are prepared to use deceitful tactics to their advantage,” Stewart stated.
