CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC:
THE ST LUCIA government yesterday sought to defend its gun amnesty against opposition allegations that it was rewarding, rather than punishing criminals.
Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony said that the EC$2,500 (US$925) was also allowing for the exposure of criminals.
"True, it is possible that a criminal, attracted by the reward of $2,500, would betray another criminal and provide information that eventually would lead to the recovery of an illegal firearm. But if one criminal could expose another criminal, then all the better in the fight against crime," Anthony said.
The main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has joined the small Organisation for National Empowerment (ONE) party in criticising the amnesty, which the authorities said, was one of the strategies being implemented to deal with the rising crime situation on the island.
But the opposition parties have predicted that the project is "doomed to fail" and UWP spokesman on crime, Guy Mayers, a former president of the main private sector organisation here, said the word on the ground was that the amnesty was causing more guns to come into the country and creating a business for criminals.
