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  • 2 months ago
The Local Government Minister says "immediate psychological and other support services have been extended to staff who were impacted by" the shooting death of an SRP on the Local Government Ministry's head office compound on Thursday.

The Minister was responding to a question from the Opposition in Parliament on Friday.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00In the House of Representatives on Friday, following its July-August recess,
00:05Digo Martin Central MP Simon Denobriga posed the question to the government on behalf of the opposition
00:10about a tragic incident that occurred at the head office of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government on Thursday.
00:18The Minister of Rural Development and Local Government.
00:21In light of the tragic shooting of SRP Officer Jamal Charles,
00:25while on duty at the Ministry's Kent House compound on September 11, 2025,
00:31will the Minister advise what immediate psychological and other support services
00:35have been extended to staff who were impacted by this incident?
00:41Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker.
00:45This, I could say, is a sensible question.
00:48House Speaker Jagdeo Singh intervened with a reminder of the standing orders.
00:52I will not engage in the unnecessary editorialising unless you answer the question.
00:58Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by extending our deepest condolences to the family of Jamal Charles,
01:06his widow, of course to his colleagues and staff at the Ministry and the Municipal Police Unit in particular.
01:19Minister Amin had said in a media statement on Thursday that she was not in her office
01:24but was at the Cabinet meeting when the incident took place.
01:28Mr. Speaker, I just left the ministry.
01:32Of course, you could imagine that it is a very traumatised atmosphere.
01:36I met with the ACP, Sir Gramsing, who is head of the Municipal Police Unit,
01:44the Deputy PS, and we already have arranged crisis counselling for the employees on the compound
01:52because you will appreciate the incident took place on the compound.
01:56The local government minister said Mr. Charles was a very jovial person that many of the employees knew.
02:02Mr. Speaker, this incident took place at 3.15 or thereabouts yesterday evening.
02:08It is still very early.
02:10In fact, the investigation is still ongoing into the cause of the death.
02:14And I want to thank my colleague, Minister of Homeland Security,
02:19for ensuring that, you know, we have a full investigation.
02:23But we also have, in addition to the crisis counselling organised at the Ministry for Staff,
02:30the support of the Victims Support Unit at the TTBS,
02:34which will, and they will advise us if we need to further engage.
02:38A follow-up question by MP Nino-Briga about security measures at Kent House
02:43was not allowed as this speaker said it was not in keeping with the required standing order.
02:49Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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