Anguilla’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Rudolph Proctor, told reporters on Wednesday that the telephone threat made to Chief Minister, Mr Hubert Hughes & Family, was not politically motivated and persons should desist from spreading that impression.
Mr Proctor said that Mrs Norma Hughes, the wife of the Chief Minister, had received a call from an anonymous caller who used words of a threatening nature to her which he (Mr Proctor) did not disclose. He said the Police were actively investigating the matter, but he could not tell “where the investigation may lead as there may be one or two medical issues that have to be considered”.
Speaking ahead of issuing an official press release, the Commissioner of Police further told the media: “Yes, we will confirm that there was a threat made to the Honourable Chief Minister’s residence, and the Police have responded to that. Yes, we have identified the owner of the phone, and we have identified the perpetrator or the person who made that call, and we have an active investigation in relation to that matter.”
Mr Proctor noted that the incident had drawn a lot of political commentary and innuendoes, but he pointed out: “Based on our inquiries, thus far, that call to Mrs Hughes’ residence has nothing to do with politics absolutely. It is sad to know that it has reached that level…I can safely say those [threatening] words that were issued to Mrs Hughes are not politically-connected…With local knowledge, within the Police Department [and the community] of the individual, it has nothing to do with politics; and those attempts to align it with politics should stop, because it is not political.
He went on: “I can safely say, despite the shock and the trauma of receiving such a call in the night by Mrs Hughes, I think she was very gracious and cooperative with the Police, the Special Constable who attended, myself, and the subsequent officers who attended at her residence after that call.”
Mr Proctor disclosed that since the threatening call, a Police Guard had been stationed at the Hughes’ residence at night. He added that the Chief Minister had never requested security at his home, as he felt that “this is Anguilla, it’s a free country and everybody should move around freely, and he just didn’t want to see something like that in place.” However, according to the Commissioner, he had now discussed security issues with Mr Hughes, in view of the incident, and was awaiting his response.
