By Bennette Roach
High court sessions are held in this section
Monday morning opened on a high note on the question that security at the Government Headquarters has somehow been compromised. The High Court and Magistrate Court, separate buildings appear to have been “fire bombed”, and police are only able to say they have no leads to suspects.
We were prevented from seeing the damage to the inside of both buildings, but the Police reported that person or persons unknown up to this time through broken windows, appear to have thrown some kind of accelerant which resulted in fire inside the buildings.
Firetruck still parked outside the Magistrate’s court section
They reported the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Service in controlling the fire, and confirmed that a full investigation is underway, following RMPS officers discovery of the fires while on routine patrol early this morning.
The High Court which adjourned towards the end of last week is housed in the same building housing the Registrar’s Office and the Magistrates office. The Magistrate Court about fifty yards away is housed in a building adjoining the Inland Revenue Department to the right facing north and with the Ministry of Health to the left separated by a corridor and restrooms and kitchen.
The police said that there is ‘moderate’ damage inside both quarters. As government headquarters workers arrived early to the cordoned off scenes, they were told they would be unable to work as electricity to offices had to be checked and restored.
It is expected that court hearings will be interrupted, as plans to reconvene at another location are underway.
The last time a fire was reported at a court house in Plymouth several decades ago in June, 1972, and like now, arson was suspected.
