By Saju Ng’alla
The Government extradited Noel Heath and Glenroy Matthew to the United States to protect the interests of the Federations’ nationals, said Prime Minister Denzil Douglas.
Heath and Matthew were handed over to officials of the Drug Enforcement Agency of the U.S. on the evening of March 2, and flown to the U.S. mainland.
The U.S. Government alleged that the two men participated in conspiracies to import and supply illegal drugs into the U.S.
Heath allegedly committed the crime in 1992 and Matthew in 1994.
“In deciding to obey the ruling of the courts my government has put the national interest above any other interest,” Douglas said.
Douglas made this announcement March 3, during a press conference at ZIZ studios.
He said the extradition case of Heath and Matthew was heard at every level of the judicial structure, right up to the Privy Council. Douglas said the Privy Council ruled that the two nationals should be extradited to answer the charges that have been laid against them in the United States.
“It is never a happy circumstance for a country to turn its nationals over to another country for trial in a foreign court,” the Prime Minister said. “My government looked at the situation long and hard and concluded that it was in the national interest that the law, deriving from international undertaking which we had solemnly agreed to, be obeyed.”
The national interest is quite simple, Douglas said. He pointed out that the Federation is small and exist in an environment of fierce global competition.
“We live within the Western Hemisphere and geopolitical considerations dictate that we be very careful how we conduct our affairs,” Douglas said. “We must take cognizance of the reality that for several centuries the United States has been the main, if not the sole, guarantor of stability within our region.”
Douglas said many of the Federation’s nationals make their living abroad, and that the U.S. permits nationals to visit their families and do business abroad. He said many of the Federation’s nationals on a continuing basis get the opportunity to emigrate as permanent residents, and that the number of Kittitians and Nevisians who are holding citizenship in foreign countries is on the increase.
Also, Douglas said, the Federation’s expanding tourist trade benefits from American visitors and other tourists that travel by American air carriers as well as those that come by cruise liners.
“Any act therefore which dishonors an agreement solemnly entered into can jeopardize those relations and would serve to devalue the pledges and promises made by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in international circles,” Douglas said.
“This government has therefore done its duty to protect the interest of our nationals of this Federation after allowing Mr. Heath and Mr. Matthew to fully exhaust their rights before the courts.
“We have carried out our international commitments,” Douglas said.
